Joint Statement by over 80 human rights organisations in response to latest arrest warrants and bounties on Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, Governments urged to take Actions

The Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities are pleased to join with over 80 Hong Kong civil society and human rights organisations across the world to urge government action in response to the latest round of Hong Kong National Security arrest warrants and bounties announced on 14 December 2023.

This Joint Statement was released on 20th December 2023, ahead of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on China during the UN Human Rights Council Session in January 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Joint Statement from Hong Kong Groups on the Hong Kong National Security arrest warrants and bounties 

We, the undersigned, representing Hong Kong civil society and human rights organisations across the world, condemn the Hong Kong National Security arrest warrants and bounties announced on 14 December 2023. 

These Hong Kong National Security Police issued arrest warrants and bounties for five Hong Kong pro-democracy activists living overseas, are further evidence that this draconian law is being used extraterritorially and retrospectively to silence pro-democracy voices and intimidate the Hong Kong community overseas. 

In particular, we condemn the targeting of peaceful pro-democracy activists Joey Siu, Frances Hui, and Simon Cheng. We continue to condemn the targeting of Nathan Law, Dennis Kwok, Ted Hui, Kevin Yam, Anna Kwok, Finn Lau, Elmer Yuen, and Christopher Mung, and the bounties issued in their names and urge democratic countries to introduce measures to protect these individuals and the Hong Kong community as a whole from transnational repression at the hands of the People’s Republic of China. 

This is the latest escalation in the National Security Law, which was imposed by Beijing in 2020 and has been condemned by many governments and multiple UN Committees. So far, 260 people have been arrested under the National Security Law. 

This is also the latest escalation in transnational repression against Hong Kongers, many of whom have faced attacks and harassment from the Chinese Communist Party and its agents, across various jurisdictions. 

We urge the governments of the United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and European Union countries, to introduce measures to protect the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong activists in exile, particularly those who have been granted asylum and faced past threats from Beijing. 

We urge these governments, and in particular the governments of the United Kingdom and the United States of America where these five reside, to continue to reiterate that the Hong Kong National Security Law does not apply in their jurisdictions, and condemn the latest arrest warrants and bounties and reaffirm that they are not valid in their jurisdictions. 

We urge these governments, and others, to raise the topic of Hong Kong in their recommendations to China at the UN Universal Periodic Review, which will take place on 23 January 2024. 

Finally, we urge governments to suspend the remaining extradition treaties that exist between democracies and the Hong Kong and Chinese Governments and work towards coordinating an INTERPOL early warning system to protect Hong Kongers and other dissidents abroad. Hong Kong activists in exile must be protected in their peaceful fight for basic human rights, freedoms and democracy. 

Signatories (in alphabetical order)