Meeting with the Swedish Trade Union Confederation and local think tanks

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At the launch event of “Global State of Trade Union 2023” with the Swedish Trade Union Confederation (LO)

Last month, Christopher Mung, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Labour Rights Monitor, visited Sweden and spoke to the Swedish Trade Union Confederation (LO) and local think tanks on the crackdown on independent trade unions in Hong Kong. Mung also attended the launch event for LO’s latest report, “Global State of Trade Unions 2023”.

In the report “Global State of Trade Union 2023”, LO explicitly stated that the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) is “strongly allied with the ruling Communist Party” and that all attempts to form free trade unions are “crushed”. The report also emphasised that China’s systematic discrimination and use of forced labour targeting Muslim and other ethnic minorities is a violation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

As for the labour rights condition in Hong Kong, LO reported that the democratic space has been gradually restricted since China resumed control over Hong Kong in 1997. This culminated in the adoption of the Hong Kong National Security Law in 2020, where the leaders of Hong Kong’s free trade union movement, HKCTU, have now been imprisoned or forced into exile. The report also said that HKFTU is, in fact, a “yellow trade union” controlled by Beijing.

Christopher Mung also visited the Institute for Security & Development Policy and the Swedish National China Centre on this trip to Sweden.

The Institute for Security & Development Policy has been keen to raise awareness about the deterioration of freedoms and rights in Hong Kong under the Hong Kong National Security Law. They have hosted several seminars on this topic and are interested in organising more online events on Hong Kong labour rights and independent trade unions.

Meeting with Torbjörn Lodén (Right), senior researcher of the Institute for Security & Development Policy

Mung also visited the Swedish National China Centre, one of the country’s leading think tanks and a key policy adviser to the Swedish government on China policy. According to one of the researchers, the kidnapping of Swedish national Gui Minhai in 2015 was a watershed moment in the Swedish-Chinese relationship. The centre has limited access to information regarding the state of Hong Kong’s labour movement and civil society. We hope our exchange has filled that void and are looking forward to our future communication.

Meeting with Gustav Sundqvist (R2), senior researcher at the Swedish National China Centre and his team.

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探訪瑞典總工會及智庫組織　瑞典總工會：關注香港自由工運領袖遭判監及被迫流亡 

3 mins read
與瑞典總工會國際部的秘書及研究員合照

上月底，香港勞權監察總幹事蒙兆達獲邀前往瑞典進行交流，先後探訪當地智庫組織及工會，講解香港工運被打壓狀況及最新發展。行程期間，剛巧適逢瑞典總工會 (LO) 舉行「全球工會狀況2023」報告書發佈會，蒙兆達亦有幸獲邀出席。 

在香港的部份，瑞典總工會關注自九七主權移交以後，香港的民主空間持續被收窄，2020年國安法實施更是達至極致。香港自由工會的領袖遭判監及被迫流亡，有流亡人士成立海外組織繼續支持香港工運。報告特別指出，香港的工聯會（HKFTU）是由北京控制的假工會(Yellow Union)。 

在報告中，部份章節有特別提及中國及香港的狀況，其中瑞典總工會明確指出，中國全國總工會並非真正工會，與中國共產黨有強烈聯繫，中國所有工人組織自由工會的嘗試都遭受鎮壓。此外，中國政府針對穆斯林及其他少數族裔所作的強制勞動及系統性歧視，亦明顯地抵觸聯合國《經濟、社會及文化權利國際公約》。 

與瑞典保安及發展政策研究所高級研究員Torbjörn Lodén 會面。

除了與瑞典工會交流以外，蒙兆達此行亦探訪了兩個當地的智庫團體，分別是安全及發展政策研究所(Institute for Security & Development Policy)及瑞典全國中國研究中心（Swedish National China Centre）。安全及發展政策研究所原來一直有舉辦關注香港的研討活動，探討香港的自由和權利在國安法下迅速萎縮的狀況。是次見面之後。對方期望未來能與勞權監察合辦關注香港工運的網上研討，喚起更多瑞典公民的關注。 

另一智庫組織瑞典全國中國研究中心的研究人員則表示，自2015年瑞典國民桂民海被跨境拘捕後，引起了瑞典社會對中國政府侵犯人權的廣泛批評，事件成為兩國關係的轉捩點。直至今天，瑞典仍然是歐洲對華態度最強硬的國家之一。該中心一直是向瑞典政府建議對華政策及提供分析的重要智庫。但對於香港工運及公民社會的狀況，他們以往收到的訊息不多，是次交流，正可為他們補充這方面的不足。 

探訪瑞典全國中國研究中心，獲資深研究員Gustav Sundqvist（右二）及其同事會面。

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