01 July 2020

An afront to freedom in Hong Kong and Worldwide

 

On 1 July, the Hong Kong Police Force twitted items that now run afoul of the newly enacted Hong Kong National Security Law. Among the items and slogans now prohibited is the word “conscience” (pronounced leong4 zi4 in Cantonese). For over a year, this Confucian notion of the innate awareness of the good has become the symbol of the resilience and resistance of the people of Hong Kong against daily police brutality and government refusal to back down from enacting draconian measures under the guise of stability and national security. 

With no input from the supposedly autonomous government of Hong Kong or the people of the city-state, Beijing enacted a law that was never been read or reviewed by anyone outside the 175-member strong Standing Committee of China’s National People's Congress. With one stroke, flouting condemnation and concerns from worldwide, including G7 members, all semblance of “One Country, Two Systems” and the rule of law have been erased.

The law criminalises the offences of secession, subversion, and the organisation and perpetration of terrorist activities. More relevant to Canadians, or anyone in the world, it criminalises collusion with “external elements to endanger national security”. What these terms mean remains to be seen. Is liking a social media post about Hong Kong demonstrations no longer safe? Is re-tweeting support for the rule of law in Hong Kong, highlighting the plight of millions of incarcerated Uyghurs, and speaking out against the persecution of Christians, democracy activists or coronavirus whistle-blowers now a crime subject to life imprisonment?

Though the provisions of the National Security Law are couched in legal niceties, the final power of interpreting the law lies in the very Standing Committee of China’s rubber-standing parliament that drafted and rushed to adopt the law in the first place. The law has extraterritorial reach, and is applicable to anyone, even if you are not resident in Hong Kong. Already, one person alleged to have run afoul of the newly enacted law was arrested on board a Cathay Pacific flight moments before departure for London. Any aircraft or ship registered in Hong Kong is an extension of the city’s territory, and police have powers to come on board and detain suspects. If deemed necessary, legal proceedings can be done without a jury to protect “State secrets” or the so-called “involvement of foreign factors”.

Further, the law establishes a so-called Committee for Safeguarding National Security, which enjoys sweeping powers to safeguard national security. The Committee’s work and powers are not subject to judicial scrutiny or to disclosure. In other words, a gestapo has been legalised and instituted.

The website hkleaks.pk (in Chinese) now lists the names, personal details (some including telephone numbers, and emails) and alleged crimes of over 1600 “thugs”. Listed are journalists, teachers and even businesses that have shown sympathy to pro-democracy protests. Newly added is the name, picture and names of the parents of a 16-year-old minor who is alleged to have tried to subvert Hong Kong by “wandering the streets” and failing to produce an ID when the police demanded it.

To add salt to injury, former HK Chief Executive Chun-ying Leung even advocated a handsome bounty to anyone able to provide clues leading to the arrest of “national security law offenders” or information on “anyone who has fled the city”. Such release of personal information to instigate mob-like social justice, and instil terror in the lives of ordinary citizens is a reminder of the excesses of the Cultural Revolution. But this is in “Asia’s world city” Hong Kong, in the year 2020.

Canada has just heightened its travel advisory, and rightly suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong. Given China’s history of kidnapping foreigners and keeping them hostage for political bargaining, Hong Kong, and anyone who advocates justice and fundamental freedoms, is no longer safe.

Governments and peoples of the world must make a stand against tyranny and authoritarianism, and stand up for the basic rights and civil liberties in Hong Kong. And we must do so with a conscience.


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