The Hong Kong Democracy Council issues the following statement on the expedited passage of Article 23

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Washington, D.C. (March 19, 2024) — The Hong Kong Democracy Council issues the following statement on the expedited passage of Article 23 in the Hong Kong Legislative Council:



“We firmly oppose the passage of Article 23, a comprehensive upgrade of the National Security Law in cracking down on Hong Kong’s autonomy and Hong Kongers’ rights around the world. Article 23 grants sweeping powers to law-enforcement officers, judges, and prosecutors to suppress dissent and stifle political opposition, which is certain to enable more arbitrary political arrests than the 1,829 political prisoners we have documented. Separately, Article 23 will also encourage peer surveillance and rile up a Cultural Revolution-esque atmosphere in Hong Kong.”


“Twenty-one years ago, half a million Hong Kongers marched on the streets of Hong Kong and successfully stopped Article 23 from proceeding. It was the first moment of political participation for many Hong Kongers who later took on more active roles in a myriad of political movements in the 2010s. Today, Hong Kongers who stood up against the regime to demand their fundamental rights are imprisoned, exiled, and silenced. Hong Kong has changed forever.”



“To this date, the S.A.R. government is still manipulating the territory’s seemingly autonomous infrastructure to serve authoritarian ends. While the S.A.R. government encouraged the public to raise concerns about Article 23 in its for-show public consultation, HKDC and eight other advocacy organizations were dubbed ‘anti-China’ when we voiced legitimate concerns and registered our opposition. The S.A.R. government’s response not only undermined the credibility of its own process but further doubled down on its intolerance of virtually any dissent. Its attempt to conflate criticizing a repressive government policy with criticizing China as a nation-state should also not go unnoticed. We have every reason to expect the continued, if not intensified, repression of human rights under the guise of safeguarding national security.”



“The S.A.R. government also spared no effort to fast-track the bill. The public consultation lasted for a mere month and the bill’s text was unveiled nine days later. These were followed by a review of 181 clauses in less than 43 hours, averaging 14 minutes and 15 seconds of discussion per clause. Article 23, an important legislation that will leave a permanent scar in Hong Kong’s history, was ultimately passed in 12 days by the rubber-stamp Legislative Council by a vote of 89-0.”



“We call on the Biden Administration and Congress to act. Since Hong Kong is no longer sufficiently autonomous to justify differential treatment from China, Congress should pass the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Certification Act, which will provide the administration with the means to revoke the legal and diplomatic privileges the S.A.R. government outposts utilize to lobby on Beijing’s behalf. President Joe Biden should impose Magnitsky-style sanctions on S.A.R. and Chinese officials who are responsible for undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy. We also advocate for the revocation of Hong Kong’s membership in multilateral organizations such as the World Trade Organization. In light of the erosion of freedoms, the international community should no longer play pretend with the Hong Kong S.A.R. government to recognize its autonomy.”


“On this day, Article 23 passed with no objection. Hong Kong’s loss of political autonomy is beyond clear.”

Contact: Huen Lam, Senior Communications Associate | [email protected] | (202) 813-9930

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Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC) is a Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan, nonprofit organization for Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement and Hong Kongers in the United States.

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