Canadian teams supporting Hong Kong’s democracy motion are calling on the federal authorities to impose focused sanctions after arrest warrants and bounties had been issued for abroad activists, together with Canadians.
The teams despatched a letter to International Affairs Minister Anita Anand on Friday urging Ottawa to sanction high-ranking Hong Kong police and authorities officers — together with Chief Government John Lee Ka-chiu, the present and former police commissioner, and sitting judges — who the activists say have performed “essential roles in imposing the area’s repressive insurance policies.”
“The actions of those officers represent a direct assault on the rules of democracy, human rights, and the rule of regulation,” reads the letter signed by Edmund Leung, who chairs the Vancouver Society in Help of Democratic Motion, on behalf of 10 pro-democracy teams throughout the nation.
“Canada has an ethical and authorized obligation to reply decisively. By imposing these sanctions, Canada will ship a robust message to the world that it stands firmly in opposition to human rights abuses and authoritarian overreach.”
The letter seeks sanctions in opposition to Hong Kong’s justice and safety secretaries, the chief superintendent of nationwide safety, and 10 Hong Kong judges who the Canadian teams say are “complicit in judicial repression” by overseeing trials of pro-democracy activists.
A Crown prosecutor who performed a “key function” in these prosecutions, Anthony Chau Tin-hang, can also be named.
What does Hong Kong need?
Hong Kong police introduced on July 25 it had issued arrest warrants for 19 activists accused of “suspected contravention” of its Nationwide Safety Legislation for his or her roles in selling self-determination within the Chinese language particular administrative area.
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The regulation was imposed by Beijing in 2020 following widespread protests the yr earlier than, a part of a crackdown on dissent that gave China a lot stronger management and affect within the area.
Among the activists named, together with Canadian Victor Ho, already confronted warrants stemming from an announcement from Hong Kong in December, however now face a HK$1 million ($175,180) reward for data for his or her arrests.
Fifteen of the activists face a HK$200,000 ($35,036) reward, together with Vancouver-based activist Keung Ka-wai.
The group of 19 activists features a whole of six individuals with ties to Canada, three of whom are Canadian residents, Leung wrote.
Residents of the US and United Kingdom, in addition to activists residing in Europe, are additionally amongst these named by police, sparking condemnations from these nations’ prime diplomats.
Anand and Public Security Minister Gary Anandasangaree mentioned in a joint assertion final month that Canada is not going to tolerate what it describes as an try for Hong Kong “to conduct transnational repression overseas.”
“The people focused yesterday below the Beijing-imposed Nationwide Safety Legislation in Hong Kong embrace Canadians and other people with shut ties to Canada,” their assertion mentioned.
“Canada reiterates its earlier calls to repeal this regulation, which violates Hong Kong’s worldwide human rights obligations, and withdraw all associated warrants and bounties.”
On Friday, G7 members and associates — together with Canada — issued a joint assertion reiterating their condemnation of the arrest warrants, which the alliance mentioned “undermines nationwide safety, state sovereignty, human rights, and the protection of communities.”
It didn’t say if any G7 companions deliberate to challenge sanctions in opposition to Hong Kong officers or take some other motion in response.
It mentioned all members are “dedicated to strengthening our efforts to safeguard our sovereignty, to maintain our communities protected, and to defend people from the overreach of governments making an attempt to silence, intimidate, harass, hurt or coerce them inside our borders.”
“We encourage people to report suspicious actions and any incidents of intimidation, harassment, coercion, or threats to their regulation enforcement authorities in accordance with home legal guidelines and laws,” the assertion mentioned.
The activists are alleged to have organized or participated in an election overseas for the Hong Kong Parliament, in addition to organising or turning into members of the group.
Based on a Fb assertion by the group on Jun. 30, its election drew some 15,700 legitimate votes via cellular app and on-line voting techniques. It mentioned the candidates and elected members got here from varied areas, together with Taiwan, Thailand, Australia, the U.S., Canada and Britain.
Whereas the group calls itself Hong Kong Parliament, its electoral organizing committee was based in Canada and its affect is proscribed.
Hong Kong police referred to as on these needed to cease their actions whereas they nonetheless can, saying that they hoped the activists “will take this chance to return to Hong Kong and switch themselves in, reasonably than making extra errors.”
On Monday, authorities strengthened the crackdown by banning monetary help to 16 of the 19 previously-named activists, together with Canadians Ho and Keung, and cancelling passports for 12 of them.
A Hong Kong authorities spokesperson mentioned the “lawless needed criminals” are hiding in Canada, the U.Okay., the U.S., Germany, Australia, Thailand, Taiwan and different nations “and proceed to blatantly interact in actions that endanger nationwide safety.”
Stricter penalties in opposition to activists below the regulation have slowly eroded the pro-democracy motion inside Hong Kong, with a lot of its leaders both jailed or fleeing overseas. The final remaining political celebration affiliated with the motion, the League of Social Democrats, introduced in June it had disbanded resulting from immense political stress.
—with recordsdata from the Canadian Press and the Related Press
