Amnesty International Hong Kong abroad will be led by Hong Kong activists operating from different countries.
Amnesty International has relaunched his Hong Kong office “in exile”, more than three years after the Rights Group closed its operation at the Chinese Financial Center citing risks of national security legislation.
The Chinese Government has pressed Hong Kong after massive prime protests and sometimes violent in 2019, taking energetic measures against political dissent with dozens of activists, political opposition and journalists arrested, imprisoned or forced to flee.
Amnesty said in a statement on Tuesday that the new office, Amnesty International Hong Kong abroad (Aihko), will be directed by Hong activists operating from several countries, including Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The AFP news agency reported that it is registered in Switzerland.
Chi-Man Luk, Aihko’s executive director, praised the opening of the new office as “a new chapter” in Amnesty’s commitment to Human Rights in Hong Kong “and his support for Hong Kong’s diaspora.
Amnesty had closed his two crimes in Hong Kong in 2021, saying at that time that the security law “made it impossible for Freerally to work.
The Chinese and Hong Kong authorities say that the National Security Law, that punishes subversion, collusion with foreign forces and terrorism with life in prison, has brought stability to the territory controlled by the Chinese since the protests of 2019. Officials also insist that legislation balances security with the protection of the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents.
The general secretary of Amnesty, Agnes Callamar, said that her new section demonstrates “our commitment to defend human rights regardless of the challenges we face.”
Fernando Cheung, a former Hong Kong legislator who joined as a member of the Board, said the main priorities include raising awareness about the “prisoners of consciousness” and transnational repression.
“It is clear that Hong Kong’s human rights situation has continued to get worse,” said Cheung, citing the imprisonment of a social worker last week about a police police shock in 2019.
As of April, Hong Kong arrested 322 people and sentenced to 163 of them under security laws, one imposed by Beijing, and another law of own harvest promulgated last year.
Police have also issued rewards to 19 prodemocratic activists abroad.
On Sunday, the members of the city’s Democratic Party voted to dissolve the party that once was the unconditional opposition force of the city.