Hong Kong Protests | Human Rights Watch

In February 2019, Hong Kong authorities proposed legal revisions allowing criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China, where due process rights are ... Skiptomaincontent HumanRightsWatch العربية 简中 繁中 English Français Deutsch 日本語 Русский Português Español More Search DonateNow Search العربية 简中 繁中 English Français Deutsch 日本語 Русский Português Español More PriortoHongKong’stransfertoChinesesovereigntyin1997,peopleintheterritorywerepromisedthatrightsandfreedomswouldbeensuredunderHongKongandinternationallaw.Overthenexttwodecades,peopleusedpeacefulmeanstopressfortheserights,buttheHongKongandBeijinggovernmentshaverepeatedlybacktracked. InFebruary2019,HongKongauthoritiesproposedlegalrevisionsallowingcriminalsuspectstobeextraditedtomainlandChina,wheredueprocessrightsareroutinelyviolated.Thispromptedmassive,largelypeacefulprotestsstartinginJune.Whileauthoritiesscrappedtherevisions,theyhaveignoredotherdemands,includingforaninvestigationintoexcessiveuseofforcebythepolice,whileimposingnewrestrictionsonexpressionandassembly. December6,2019 00:00AMEST NumbersTelltheStoryofHongKong’sHumanRights ClicktoexpandImage Protestersgatherduringarallyagainstthepolice'suseofteargasinHongKong,December 6,2019. ©2019APPhoto/VincentThian ThehighsandlowsoftheHangSengindex.Realestateprices.Thecostofnewcellphones.Inthepast,itwasthesesortsofnumbersthatsomepeopleinHongKongnoticed. Toreadmore. December3,2019 09:00AMEST China:RespectRightsofHongKongProtesters The Chinese governmentshouldrespectthefundamentalrightsofHongKong’speopleratherthantargetnongovernmentalorganizations,HumanRightsWatchsaidtoday.AChineseofficialthreatenedtoimposeunspecified“sanctions”againstHumanRightsWatchandseveralUS-basedpro-democracyorganizations,accordingtothestate-runXinhuanewsagencyonDecember2,2019. Toreadmore. October30,2019 09:00AMEDT HongKong:ProminentActivistBarredfromElections ClicktoexpandImage HongKongdemocraticactivistJoshuaWongspeakstothemediainHongKongonSaturday,Sept.28,2019.Wongannouncedplanstocontestlocalelectionsandwarnsthatanyattempttodisqualifyhimwillonlyspurmoresupportformonthslongpro-democracyprotests. ©2019APPhoto/KinCheung The HongKong ElectoralAffairsCommission(EAC)shouldimmediatelyreverseitsdecisiontodisqualifythecandidacyofJoshuaWong,aprominentpro-democracyactivist,forupcomingdistrictcouncilelections,HumanRightsWatchsaidtoday.OnOctober29,2019,theEACnotifiedWongthathiscandidacyfortheNovember24electionswasinvalid. Toreadmore. October18,2019 09:00AMEDT HongKong:PoliceRejectingProtestApplications TheHongKongpoliceonOctober18,2019rejectedtheCivilHumanRightsFront’sapplicationtomarchagainstthegovernment’smaskbanonSunday,October20.MayaWang,seniorChinaresearcheratHumanRightsWatch,said: “TheHongKongpoliceareincreasinglyrejectingprotestapplications,evenfromgroupswithatrackrecordoforganizingpeacefulprotests.Peopleareleftwiththechoiceofeitherstayinghomeandkeepingtheiropinionstothemselves,orattendinganunauthorizedprotestandriskingpoliceviolence,arrest,andimprisonment.Ratherthanprotectingpublicsafety,thepolice’sintentionseemstobetodissuadepeoplefrompubliclyexpressingtheirviews.” October9,2019 09:00AMEDT There’sawaytofixtheHongKongcrisis ClicktoexpandImage ProtestersreactfromteargasduringademonstrationonChina'sNationalDay,underLionRockHill,inWongTaiSin,HongKong,ChinaOctober1,2019.  ©2019Reuters/TyroneSiu “Ifthepolicefiredteargas,I’dthrowitrightback,”arelativetoldme,asarecentprotestinHongKongwasabouttostart.Thatsentimentwasstartling,giventhatthisprotesteris80yearsold. Toreadmore. October8,2019 09:00AMEDT ForNBA'sQuandaryoverChina,StandwithHumanRights TheNBAhaslongportrayeditselfasstandingupforhumanrights,whetherdismissingtheLosAngelesClippers’ownerforraciststatementsormovingtheAll-StarGamefromCharlotteafterNorthCarolinatookastandagainstallowingtransgenderpeopletousethebathroomassociatedwiththeiridentity. NBAstarshavetakenupsuchvariedcausesas guncontrol, policeabuse and Trump’shatefulrhetoric.Thesuccessoftheleagueitselfisatributetodiversityandglobalism.ButtheNBAnowfacesatestofitsprincipleswhenaccesstothemassiveChinesemarketisatissue. Toreadmore. October4,2019 09:00AMEDT China:ReleaseSupportersofHongKongProtests Chineseauthoritiesshouldimmediatelyreleaseactivistsdetainedin China forpeacefullyvoicingsupportforthepro-democracyprotestsinHongKong,HumanRightsWatchsaidtoday.Authoritiesshouldalsoceaseharassingactivists,students,andtheirfamiliesforsharingprotest-relatedinformationonsocialmedia,andallowmainlandChinesetoparticipateinpeacefulprotestsinHongKong. Toreadmore. October4,2019 09:00AMEDT HongKong:FaceMaskBanViolatesAssemblyRights ClicktoexpandImage Peopleprotesttheenactmentoftheanti-masklawinHongKong,October4,2019. ©2019YomiuriShimbunviaAPImages The HongKong government’sbroad banonprotesterswearingfacemasks isadisproportionaterestrictiononpeacefulassemblyrights,HumanRightsWatchsaidtoday.ChiefExecutiveCarrieLamsaidthegovernmenthadinvokedemergencypowers“tode-escalatethesituationandtoendtheviolence.” Toreadmore. September26,2019 09:00AMEDT HongKongLeader’s‘ListeningMode’Isn’tEnough HongKong’sChiefExecutiveCarrieLamyesterdayspentmorethantwohours facingangryquestionsandcondemnations frompeopleata“communitydialoguesession,”organizedafterfourmonthsofmassivestreetprotests.Thisefforttoshowshereallyisin“listeningmode,”assheclaimedyesterdayina NewYorkTimes opinionpiece,isperhapsanimprovementonherrecentpracticeofignoringpopularviews,butit’snotclearifsuchsessionswillleadtoanychange. Toreadmore. August30,2019 09:00AMEDT HongKong:ActivistsApparentlyArrestedforSupportingFreeExpression HongKongauthoritiesarrestedpro-democracyactivistsJoshuaWong,AgnesChow,andotherstodayonsuspicionoftakingpartinandincitingotherstotakepartinanunauthorizedassemblyonJune21.SophieRichardson,ChinadirectoratHumanRightsWatch,said: “TheHongKongactivistswereapparentlyarrestedforsupportingfreedomsofassemblyandexpression–whicharerights,notcrimes.TheseareauthoritariantacticsthattheChinesegovernmenthaslongdeployedinthemainland,buttheydidn’tusetohappeninHongKong.ThecurrentrealitiesarenothingmorethanaspectacularfailureofgovernanceonthepartsofChinaandHongKongauthorities.” August21,2019 09:00AMEDT WhySoManyChineseStudentsCan’tUnderstandtheHongKongProtests Continuereading August14,2019 09:00AMEDT HongKong:PoliceShouldExerciseRestraint Continuereading June28,2019 09:00AMEDT HongKong:IndependentlyInvestigatePoliceUseofForce Continuereading June12,2019 09:00AMEDT HongKong:PoliceShouldn’tUseExcessiveForce Continuereading June6,2019 09:00AMEDT HongKong:ExtraditionChangesThreatenCivilSociety Continuereading March31,2019 09:00AMEDT HongKong:ScrapProposedExtraditionChanges Continuereading