Amnesty International To Withdraw From Hong Kong OpEd – Eurasia Review

ByKara Wheeler*

The human rights organization says it can no longer work freely and without fear as the Hong Kong government continues to repress fundamental freedoms.

London-based Amnesty International has succumbed to the pressures of Hong Kongs wide-sweeping National Security Law (NSL), announcing on Oct. 25 its decisions to withdraw operations from the city.

The human rights organization will close its two Hong Kong branches, citing fear of restrictions of freedoms of expression.

The nongovernmental organization (NGO)saidits branch that deals with human rights education programs in Hong Kong will close on Oct. 31, while another branch, which focuses on research and campaigning across East and Southeast Asia, will fold by the end of the year. The group also announced its decision to shift its Hong Kong advocacy to other parts of the Asia-Pacific region.

The NGO has played an ongoing role in influencing for the better the social and civil rights climate in Hong Kong. It was behind the push for full abolition of the death penalty in the city in the 1993 and unveiled police misconduct during the 2019 pro-democracy protests.

Amnesty Internationals announcement marks one of the most prominent departures from Hong Kong, amid pressure from Beijings ever-restrictive crackdown on freedoms of speech, press, and assembly.

The NSL bans what the government deems as secession, terrorism, or subversion of Hong Kongs prosperity. Violations of the law carry penalties up to and including life in prison. The strict legislation has been the grounds for more than 150 arrests since it was passed in June 2020.

Amnestys secretary general, Agns Callamard, commented on the groups withdrawal from Hong Kong in atweetposted on Oct. 25:

The NSLs vague wording and broad application, paired with some of the worlds strictest COVID policies, has diminished the level of freedom Hong Kong citizens once enjoyed. The law is also widely unpopular within Hong Kongs international business hub.

Critics of the NSL are hesitant to accept the idea that the law is beneficial to stability in Hong Kong.

Yet Hong Kongs chief executive, Carrie Lam, has shown no concern over the legislations unpopularity. She has repeatedly lauded the laws ability to restore stability and promote prosperity.

According toBloomberg, at least 35 other civil society groups have closed in response to the same pressures from the NSL as faced Amnesty International. Last month, the group that organizes the annual vigil of the Tiananmen Square Massacre was forced todisbandafter its members either quit amid fear of the NSL or were arrested for violating it.

The tension in Hong Kong continues to climb as any action that qualifies as political dissent is censored and punished, nullifying freedom of expression.

Amnesty Internationals decision to pull out of Hong Kong indicates that the NSL makes human rights difficult to promote and almost impossible to obtain. Human flourishing will cease if the Hong Kong government, out of fear of losing absolute control, continues to restrict citizens attempts to promote human rights.

*About the author: Kara Wheeler is a member of the Acton Institutes 2021 Emerging Leaders class. She is a senior at Aquinas College majoring in in English and Journalism. She loves to write, partake in any sport she can, and can be found either on the water or in downtown Grand Rapids.

Source: This article was published by the Acton Institute

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Amnesty International To Withdraw From Hong Kong OpEd - Eurasia Review