Amnesty International to close two offices in Hong Kong due to national security law

Human rights watchdog Amnesty International has decided to shut down two offices in Hong Kong after staff face security challenges under the China-imposed national security law. The local ‘section’ office will cease operations on 31 October while the regional office – which is part of Amnesty’s global International Secretariat – is due to close by the end of 2021, Amnesty said in a press release.  For the first time in 40 years, the regional operations will be moved to other offices in the Asia-Pacific.

With a "heavy heart" the human rights group has decided to vacate the nation stating that the national laws have made it "effectively impossible" for such organisations to work freely in the country. Amnesty will shut down its two offices by the end of this year following intensified crackdowns that have led nearly 35 groups to relocate from Hong Kong, Anjhula Mya Singh Bais, Chair of Amnesty International board said in a statement.

Two Amnesty International offices based in Hong Kong, a local membership section focused on human rights education in the city; and a regional office that carries out research, advocacy, and campaigning work on East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific. All of the regional office’s work will continue from new locations, the organisation said in a statement. “Hong Kong has long been an ideal regional base for international civil society organisations, but the recent targeting of local human rights and trade union groups signals an intensification of the authorities’ campaign to rid the city of all dissenting voices. It is increasingly difficult for us to keep operating in such an unstable environment," Singh Bais added in her statement.

Secretary-General of Amnesty International, Agnes Callamard expressed heartfelt gratitude towards Amnesty members and staff "who over the last 40 years has worked tirelessly to protect human rights" in and from Hong Kong. In a statement she also mentioned the noteworthy achievements the organisation made in the country some of which include robust education programmes, campaigning freedom of expression in North Korea, conscientious objection to military service in South Korea, and many more.

Hong Kong-mainland conflict

Although Hong Kong has remained one of the leading NGO hubs in Asia, its prolonged spat with China has recently made it difficult for such organisations to counter autocracy after the control over the former British colony was returned to Beijing in 1997. The situation deteriorated after China's National People's Congress imposed "national security laws" allowing a crackdown on protests against Beijing. Following the enactment of the "repressive" national security law from June 2020, the humanitarian situation in Hong Kong has deteriorated more rapidly than ever. As per Amnesty reports, Beijing authorities arbitrarily used the law as a pretext to restrict the human rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, as well as to repress dissent and political opposition. 

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