In this issue: HK Alliance Trial Opens: Who Fears “Ending One-Party Rule”? | Connect Diaspora Communities | Event | HK Labour Rights Newsflash
HK Alliance Trial Opens: Who Fears “Ending One-Party Rule”?
The trial of the Hong Kong Alliance for “inciting subversion of state power” opened this month. Former chairperson Lee Cheuk-yan and vice-chairperson Chow Hang-tung pleaded not guilty. Diplomats from multiple countries and pro-democracy figures attended the hearings.
Prosecutors argued the Alliance’s long-standing call to “end one-party rule” violated the constitution and incited public hatred under the banner of democracy and the June 4th vigil. Yet tens of thousands of Hongkongers attend the Victoria Park candlelight vigil year after year, rain or shine, demonstrating that this is not mere “incitement.” As the other defendant, Albert Ho, the former chair of the Alliance, said, “Ending one-party rule does not mean eliminating the Communist Party, which can still govern through fair elections.” The principle is universal: pursuing democracy and ending authoritarianism—something only dictators would fear.
Connect Diaspora Communities
Call on UK to Honour Commitments and Maintain Existing BN(O) Settlement Conditions
Together with UK Welcomes Refugees, West Midlands Hongkonger Support CIC and Re-Water CIC, we surveyed Hongkongers’ views on the UK government’s consultation on BN(O) settlement requirements. At a press conference releasing the findings, we stressed that the BN(O) visa should not be treated as economic migration, as it was introduced in response to the National Security Law and reflects the UK’s moral and historical responsibilities. More than 85 per cent of middle-aged and older respondents opposed proposed changes, reporting anxiety and a sense of betrayal. We called on the government to retain the existing B1 language requirement, impose no minimum income threshold, and protect settlement rights for Hongkongers, including those seeking political asylum.
Hong Kong Independent Labour Movement History Featured at Hong Kong Festival
This month, we took part in the London Hong Kong Festival, presenting the exhibition “Dripping Water Wears Through Stone: A History of Hong Kong’s Independent Labour Movement”. Alongside the exhibition, a range of rare labour movement artefacts were on display, including historical photographs from industrial actions, trade union publications, protest materials and illustrations. Guided explanations were also provided on site for visitors.
The paths Hongkongers have walked together in the past are worth remembering. Only by preserving these collective memories can we prevent those in power from rewriting or erasing them at will.
Event
China’s ‘Super Embassy’ Approved Amid Fear of Transnational Repression
More than a thousand Hongkongers from across the UK braved the winter cold to protest for the ninth time outside the proposed site of China’s “super embassy” at Royal Mint Court, alongside Uyghur, Tibetan, Burmese and Taiwanese communities and British supporters. Despite the project’s approval under Keir Starmer’s government, Executive Director Christopher Mung said Hong Kongers’ resistance to the CCP “will continue”. He warned that allowing the regime, which forced Hongkongers into exile to expand its presence in Britain has raised fears for their safety and undermined confidence in the UK’s assurances to Hongkongers.
HK Labour Rights Newsflash
- Deflation Bites as Layoffs and Wage Arrears Spread Across China <Read more>
- UK Government Approves Chinese ‘Mega Embassy’ – Avoids Addressing Cross-Border Repression <Read more>
- China’s ‘Super Embassy’ Secret Basement Could Be Spy Hub <Read more>
- “Every Day in Prison Brings Him Closer to the End of His Life,” Jimmy Lai’s Lawyer Tells the Court <Read more>