GATPM, London | 22 January 2026
The Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities (GATPM) unequivocally condemns today’s decision at the West Kowloon Courts, which once again lays bare the systematic destruction of Hong Kong’s freedoms under the National Security Law.
As posted on a social platform by veteran Hong Kong democrat Emily Lau, pro-democracy leaders Lee Cheuk-yan and Wu Hing-yun have now been imprisoned for 1,590 days, while Albert Ho has been incarcerated for 1,380 days. These are not isolated judicial outcomes; they are emblematic of a deliberate campaign to criminalise peaceful dissent, dismantle civil society, and govern through fear.
Such repression constitutes a clear and continuing breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration — a legally binding international treaty signed between the United Kingdom and the People’s Republic of China on 19 December 1984, in Beijing. The Declaration set the terms for the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong on 1 July 1997, and guaranteed the territory’s autonomy, rights, and freedoms. These solemn international commitments have been systematically violated.
“What we are witnessing in Hong Kong is not the application of justice, but the punishment of truth,” said Tsering Passang, Chair of the Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities. “The continued imprisonment of peaceful democrats under the National Security Law is a flagrant breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration and a warning to the world that treaty commitments mean nothing if they are not defended. Silence is not neutrality — it is complicity.”
The injustice unfolding in Hong Kong is not a local issue; it is a global warning. In Davos, Switzerland, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney recently delivered what may come to be recognised as an era-defining speech, urging democracies — particularly “middle powers” — to stop “living within a lie” and to defend human rights, sovereignty, and the rule of law through values-based realism. His message resonates powerfully today, not only for Canada, but for the United Kingdom, Australia, Europe, and all societies that claim to stand for freedom.
The continued imprisonment of Hong Kong’s democratic leaders and human rights advocates demonstrates the cost of international silence and accommodation. Authoritarian systems do not moderate in response to compliance; they are emboldened by it.
GATPM therefore calls on democratic governments, international institutions, and civil society to act with urgency and clarity by:
- Publicly reaffirming the legal force of the Sino-British Joint Declaration
- Demanding the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners in Hong Kong
- Acting collectively, as middle powers and allies, to defend universal human rights and the rule of law
In particular, GATPM calls on UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to raise these grave violations directly with Chinese leaders in Beijing during his visit to China next week, and to reaffirm that treaty obligations and human dignity are not negotiable.
The powerful may wield coercion — but truth, solidarity, and principled action endure. History will judge not only those who oppress, but those who remain silent. We must choose to stand, clearly and collectively, on the right side of history.
Contact:
Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities (GATPM) 