UK: Government must push China to scrap brutal Hong Kong National Security Law

30 June marks three years since the National Security Law was implemented

At least 243 people have been arrested since law came into force

‘The UK government must increase pressure on the Hong Kong government and Beijing to scrap this brutal law, restore the territory’s culture of freedom of expression and right to protest, and immediately release all activists’ – Sacha Deshmukh

Marking three years since Hong Kong’s notorious National Security Law (30 June) came into effect, Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s Chief Executive, said:

“Hong Kong’s notorious National Security Law has devastated the city’s freedoms and created a human rights emergency.

“This draconian law has led to a brutal crackdown on dissent, political opposition and has stripped the rights of those it targets – in effect making the territory a police state.

“The UK government must increase pressure both on the Hong Kong government and Beijing to scrap this brutal law, restore the territory’s culture of freedom of expression and right to protest, and immediately release all activists who are being unjustly detained for peaceful protest and demanding justice.

“This includes the lawyer and human rights defender Chow Hang-Tung as well as Jimmy Lai, a British national and founder of the now defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily.

“The UK government must not abandon the people of Hong Kong to growing Chinese repression. It must lead on calls for the UN to hold an emergency session on the increasingly repressive conditions in Hong Kong and across China, and make clear that it will not tolerate any attempts to intimidate, silence or forcibly repatriate anyone from the Hong Kong community living in the UK.

“The Government must not sacrifice its commitment to human rights and democracy in favour of economic benefits and trade relations with the Chinese and the Hong Kong governments.”

Crackdown on freedoms

The National Security Law imposed by Beijing was implemented three years ago on 30 June 2020. It has severely restricted freedom of speech and put anyone in Hong Kong who participates in protests at serious risk of prosecution. Amnesty has documented the use of excessive force by the police against protesters in Hong Kong since 2019, and according to recent figures at least 243 people have been arrested under the National Security Law since it was introduced in 2020. The law has also led to the closure of approximately 100 NGO and civil society groups, as conditions have made it impossible for them to operate.