Global inaction around the Chinese Communist Party’s decimation of Hong Kong’s autonomy has only emboldened the Chinese regime. The government in Beijing has found that it can seemingly act with impunity towards the city, writes the Macdonald-Laurier Institute’s Ai-Men Lau.
Summarizing her remarks before Canada’s House of Commons, delivered in her capacity as an advisor for Alliance Canada Hong Kong (ACHK), she outlines the dire situation the once-independent city now faces:
“The Hong Kong government uses the National Security Law to stamp out street protests, silence dissenting voices, gut the city’s legislature, eliminate political opposition, and weaponize COVID-19 health measures to restrict movement, mobility and gatherings.”
This has crippled Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement and, now without an opposition, Beijing has implemented sweeping institutional changes to completely bring the city under its thumb. Lau cites polling that showcases the desperation of those remaining: one-in-five Hong Kongers are seeking to flee, and 65 percent are not confident about Hong Kong’s political future. The stakes are high:
“The Hong Kong government has passed a law that can bar people from leaving or entering the territory, transforming Hong Kong into an open-air prison. This law will come into effect August 1st, meaning we have a limited window of time to act.”
What can Canada do? ACHK’s recommendations include:
- Create a dedicated asylum pathway for those fleeing prosecution or persecution, along with other immigration policy changes to enable extended family members to resettle here.
- Invoke the Justice for the Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act, placing targeted sanctions against the Hong Kong government, Hong Kong Police Force, and PRC officials who are complicit in perpetrating human rights violations.
- Address foreign-state harassment operations, as dissidents’ families are also targeted by authorities in Hong Kong and China.
