In this issue: Standing with Hongkongers jailed over the protests | International Solidarity | HK Labour Rights Newsflash
Standing with Hongkongers jailed over the protests: UK urged to change BNO visa rules
After the 2019 pro-democracy protests, thousands of Hongkongers were prosecuted. Some of those released have tried to rebuild their lives in the UK through the BN(O) visa route.
But under current Home Office rules, a sentence of 12 months or more can trigger mandatory refusal. At least 12 people have been refused in the past two months.
Christopher Mung, Director of Hong Kong Labour Rights Monitor, joined diaspora activists and representatives of Hongkonger organisations in the UK to deliver a petition letter to 10 Downing Street and hold a protest outside the Home Office. We called for a review of the rules and for safe, legal humanitarian routes.
Outside the Home Office, we placed ten pairs of old shoes, symbolising those who have been refused. We urged the government not to discard them.
Please join the UK Parliament petition and call on the government to review these rules, so that a conviction over the protests does not become another barrier for Hongkongers seeking safety in the UK.
International Solidarity
UK unions stand with Hong Kong’s trade unionists: “Free Lee Cheuk-yan”
Five years after the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) was forced to disband, UK unions took their protest to the doorstep of Hong Kong’s official office in London.
In October, UNISON and the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the UK’s national trade union federation, gathered outside the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office. Protesters held placards reading “Free Lee Cheuk-yan”, calling for the release of political prisoners and the repeal of the National Security Law.
Our heartfelt thanks to our friends in the UK union movement for standing shoulder to shoulder with Hong Kong’s trade unionists, whether they are in prison or in exile. Their hearts remain with Hong Kong’s workers.
Please join the global petition now, and add your voice to the call for their release. (Your message will be sent to the following email addresses: [email protected])
Global unions rally in Brussels: “Free Lee Cheuk-yan, free Chow Hang-tung”
The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the global body representing trade unions worldwide, joined other international unions and human rights groups for a rally outside Hong Kong’s Economic and Trade Office in Brussels.
They called for the immediate release of Lee Cheuk-yan, the labour movement leader, and Chow Hang-tung, the human rights lawyer, along with all other jailed trade unionists and human rights defenders.
ITUC General Secretary Luc Triangle said the unions oppose the Chinese and Hong Kong governments’ use of national security laws to silence critics.
Our thanks to the unions and human rights organisations that stood with us. Fighting for democracy and human rights should never be a crime. Solidarity across the international labour movement is a vital support in the face of repression.
Free Lee Cheuk Yan! Free Chow Hang Tung!
Fighting for democracy is not a crime!
Repeal the National Security Law!
“We will not celebrate repression”: London rally on China’s National Day
On 1 October, China’s National Day, diaspora communities from Hong Kong, the Uyghur and Tibetan peoples, and mainland China gathered outside the Chinese Embassy in London. They came to challenge the picture of harmony the Chinese Communist Party presents on this day.
Hong Kong protesters brought a large banner showing the Pillar of Shame, the sculpture commemorating the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. At one point police arrived after the embassy complained that its main gate was blocked, but the protest continued until about 7.30pm.
Christopher Mung, Director of Hong Kong Labour Rights Monitor, spoke about jailed Hong Kong figures including Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung. He urged the crowd to carry on their fight for freedom.
Uyghur, Tibetan and mainland Chinese speakers protested against ethnic cleansing, the suppression of national identity, and the Party’s authoritarian rule.
Their message was shared: the National Day celebrations cannot hide the persecution, and the resistance will not stop.
HK Labour Rights Newsflash
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- Hong Kong civil service cuts spare senior ranks, budget analysis shows <Read more>
- Tiananmen vigil organiser Chow Hang-tung files appeal against subversion sentence <Read more>
- Chinese labour rights writer known as “Xiao Wu” goes missing <Read more>