Hong Kong's 'Freedom Index' Drops 17 Steps in One Year... "Steep Decline in Freedom"

Analysis shows that Hong Kong's freedom index sharply declined after the implementation of the National Security Law following the Hong Kong democratization movement.

On June 3, one day before the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square democracy protests, a man was being arrested by the police in Causeway Bay, a busy district in Hong Kong.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

In the 'Human Freedom Index 2023' report jointly published on the 19th (local time) by Canada's Fraser Institute and the U.S. Cato Institute, Hong Kong ranked 46th out of 165 countries surveyed. This marks a drop of 17 places compared to 29th in 2020. Based on 2021 data, Hong Kong became the second region with the steepest decline in ranking during the same period, following Myanmar, which fell 20 places to 162nd among the surveyed countries.

Switzerland took first place in this survey, followed by New Zealand, Denmark, and Ireland. In Asia, Taiwan ranked highest at 12th, followed by Japan at 16th. South Korea ranked 28th, dropping one place from the previous survey. Among other major countries, the United States and the United Kingdom both ranked 17th, while China was 149th. Syria ranked last.

The report pointed out that the recent decline in freedom is a global phenomenon caused by severe restrictions on freedom of movement and trade due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it noted that the decrease in freedom in Hong Kong reflects increased interference from China and violations of the One Country, Two Systems principle. It further criticized, "Repression in Hong Kong continues with increased imprisonment of journalists and freedom advocates, as well as the issuance of arrest warrants for exiled activists abroad to silence opposition." It also mentioned, "Hong Kong ranked 3rd globally in the Human Freedom Index in 2010," and stated that "Hong Kong is suffering from a steep decline in freedom."

Looking at the actual figures, Hong Kong's rule of law index dropped from 7.5 in 2010 to 6.1 in 2021; freedom of assembly, association, and civil society fell from 8.1 in 2010 to 3.2 in 2021; and freedom of expression and information declined from 8.1 in 2010 to 5.3 in 2021. Additionally, in terms of economic freedom, Hong Kong lost first place to its rival Singapore for the first time in 25 years, falling to second place.

A spokesperson for the Hong Kong government responded to the report, saying it "does not align with the facts regarding Hong Kong's national security, human rights, and rule of law protection." They further claimed, "the National Security Law restored normalcy to residents' daily lives, economic activities, and the business environment after the 2019 protests and unrest led by the pro-democracy camp," ignoring these points.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.