In this issue: China’s Aid to Myanmar Junta | Report | Event | HK Labour Rights Newsflash
Leaked Files Reveal China’s Role in Aiding Myanmar Junta Surveillance
Leaked documents reveal that Beijing has been assisting Myanmar’s military junta in establishing a vast surveillance system capable of real-time monitoring of communications and locations, leading to arrests, torture, and even executions of dissidents. Between 2022 and 2024, at least 1,500 people were arrested for comments made on social media. We condemned the Chinese authorities’ actions as a violation of the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) sanctions against the junta, urging the international community not to turn a blind eye.
Report
HKLRM Criticises Government’s Delay in Reviewing Labour Importation
With the Chief Executive’s Policy Address approaching, we published a comprehensive review of the government’s “Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme (ESLS)”. The report highlights significant regulatory failings and serious consequences for both local and migrant workers, calling on the government to conduct an immediate review. Amid an economic downturn, with workers facing ongoing layoffs and pay cuts, the government’s delay in reviewing the scheme is tantamount to “rubbing salt into the wounds of workers.”
Event
Over a Thousand Join Sixth Rally Opposing China’s ‘Mega Embassy’ in London
This year marks the 11th anniversary of the Umbrella Movement, with over a thousand Hongkongers gathering in London for the sixth time to protest against China’s plan to build a mega embassy.
HKLRM Executive Director, Christopher Mung, said it is an undeniable fact that the regime has used its overseas offices to persecute dissidents, warning that allowing Beijing to proceed with the embassy would only intensify transnational repression. He encouraged Hongkongers not to lose heart during difficult times, stressing the core spirit of the Umbrella Movement: “We do not persist because we see hope; we see hope because we persist.”
Recalling the “NPC 831 decision” that came down like a mountain, he noted that although authorities believed it would silence dissent, hundreds of thousands still engaged in civil disobedience. Hongkongers, he said, acted because they believed that no matter how slim the chance, doing what is right is essential. “No matter how difficult it is, as long as we do not give up, hope remains in our hands.”
HKLRM Calls on UK to Uphold BNO Pledge
Before the UK Parliament debated the future of the BNO 5+1 scheme, we joined a cross-party show of support outside Parliament alongside members of the Hong Kong diaspora community and supportive MPs. At the rally, our Executive Director, Christopher Mung, cautioned that proposed policy changes could place heavy financial burdens on families, while Hong Kong authorities’ use of passport cancellations amounts to transnational repression. He called on the UK to stand firm and uphold its BNO commitment.
HK Labour Rights Newsflash
- Hong Kong Playwright Blacklisted for Tiananmen Play <Read more>
- HK court orders Foodpanda to pay HK$1.3M after rider hurt in Typhoon 8 delivery <Read more>
- HK Coca-Cola workers strike over dismissal of union committee member <Read more>
- HK social worker suspended 6 months over protest post — first without conviction <Read more>