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Hong Kong Democracy Council

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Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC) is a Washington, DC-based nonpartisan, non-governmental organization (NGO) with a stated mission of "protect[ing] Hong Kong’s basic freedoms, autonomy, and the rule of law."[1][2] HKDC's research and political work focuses on "educational outreach, community empowerment, and policy advocacy."[3]

Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC)
香港民主委員會
AbbreviationHKDC
FoundedSeptember 17, 2019; 5 years ago (2019-09-17)
FounderAnna Yeung-Cheung, Nathan Law, Victoria Tin-bor Hui, Joseph Ng, Samuel Chu
Type501(c)(3) organization
84-2856766[4]
FocusDemocratic development in Hong Kong
Hong Kong Americans
Headquarters1301 K Street NW, Suite 300W, Washington, DC 20005, United States
Location
Methodadvocacy
Anna Kwok (November 2022-present)

Brian Leung Kai-ping (Sept 2021-November 2022)

Samuel Chu (Sept 2019-Aug 2021)
Key people
Anna Kwok (Executive Director)

Jeffrey Ngo (Senior Policy & Research Fellow)
Sunny Cheung (Policy Advisor)

Brian Leung Kai-ping (Board Chair)
Alex Chow (Board Member)

Nathan Law (Convener, Advisory Board)
Andrew J. Nathan (advisor)
Sharon Hom (advisor)
Larry Diamond (advisor)
Thomas E. Kellogg (advisor)
Teng Biao (advisor)
Ted Hui (advisor)
Websitehkdc.us

History

HKDC was founded amid the 2019 Hong Kong protests as a platform for diasporic Hong Kongers in the United States to advocate for Hong Kong's democratic development and draw attention to related human rights issues. Founding members of HKDC included Nathan Law, a former Hong Kong Legislative Councilor, Victoria Tin-bor Hui, a professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame, and the Hong Kong organizers Anna Yeung-Cheung and Joseph Ng.

In September 2021, Brian Leung Kai-ping became executive director of HKDC. Alex Chow Yong-kang became board chair.[5]

Advocacy work

Since its launch, HKDC has advocated for the passage of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, PROTECT Hong Kong Act and Hong Kong Autonomy Act,[6][7] economic sanctions and visa bans on Chinese and Hong Kong officials undermining Hong Kong's autonomy and human rights,[8] and additional legislation in Congress including immigration and refugee protection for Hong Kongers.[9] HKDC's staff, board members, and advisors have also testified in front of the United States Congress.[10][11]

HKDC has issued statements & briefing documents in support of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, the PROTECT Hong Kong Act, and the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, as well as various iterations of the broad-based Hong Kong People's Freedom and Choice Act and the immigration-focused Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act.[12]

2021 escape of five Hong Kong fugitives

In January 2021, HKDC assisted in the rescue of five Hong Kong protesters by sponsoring the first set of humanitarian parole visas to the US.[13] The five men, age 18–26, fled by boat to Taiwan in July 2020, soon after China imposed the Hong Kong national security law on June 30, 2020.[14]

Response by Chinese government

Chinese authorities imposed sanctions on HKDC and others in July 2021, in response to the implementation of U.S. sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials advocated for by HKDC.[15]

Research

HKDC maintains a research team, which publishes reports on digital authoritarianism, political persecution, and other human rights issues in Hong Kong.

Political prisoners in Hong Kong

HKDC maintains a publicly available database of political prisoners in Hong Kong, tracking politically motivated arrests made under the National Security Law as well as existing statutes concerning unlawful assembly, incitement, and rioting.[16] According to HKDC, there are 1,163 political prisoners in Hong Kong as of September 2022.[17]

Data privacy in Hong Kong

In collaboration with the Open Technology Fund and cybersecurity research firm 7ASecurity, HKDC conducted a penetration test and privacy audit of the Hong Kong government's LeaveHomeSafe COVID-19 contact tracing app.[18] The report found a number of major vulnerabilities in the LeaveHomeSafe app, contradicting claims by the Hong Kong government that the app had been previously audited to address concerns over users' data privacy.[19]

Global Financial Leaders' Investment Summit

On 25 October 2022, HKDC released a report titled "Business Not As Usual," which criticized executives going to the Global Financial Leaders' Investment Summit (GFLIS) and stating that global finance leaders attending the summit would be "lending credibility not only to the government's whitewashing campaign, but also to Beijing's handpicked Chief Executive of Hong Kong, John Lee, who is scheduled to open the GFLIS with 'welcoming remarks.'"[20] On the same day, HKDC launched a database tracking international companies' cooperation with the Hong Kong government. Hours after the report and database were published, the Hong Kong government blocked portions of HKDC's website on some of Hong Kong's major mobile networks and internet service providers.[21] In response, an HKDC spokesperson said: "HKDC condemns the Hong Kong government's concerted efforts to erode internet freedom, among the many freedoms Hongkongers have been stripped of over the past years."[21]

Community engagement

HKDC has stated an interest in serving as a diaspora-building organization for Hong Kong immigrants and refugees in the United States. In the past, HKDC has funded a number of Hong Kong diaspora-related events and business projects.[22]

Revolution of Our Times screening tour

In 2021 and 2022, HKDC hosted a 20-city nationwide screening tour for the film Revolution of Our Times, a 2021 documentary about the 2019-2020 Hong Kong protests.[23]

Hong Kong Summit

In July 2022, HKDC partnered with Stand With Hong Kong to host a 3-day summit of Hong Kong diaspora activists, human rights researchers, and China policy experts.[24]

See also

References

  1. ^ Mahtani, Shibani (17 September 2019). "The Washington Post: Hong Kong activists press U.S. to counter China's erosion of city's freedoms". The Washington Post.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ Hui, Mary (16 August 2020). "Quartz: "We are all Hong Kongers": How the Hong Kong protest movement became the world's fight". Quartz.
  3. ^ "Our Mission". HKDC. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
  4. ^ "IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search".
  5. ^ "Former Occupy activist takes helm of Washington-based Hong Kong advocacy group". South China Morning Post. 2021-09-22. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  6. ^ Delaney, Robert (26 September 2019). "SCMP: US bill on Hong Kong democracy, which has angered China, gets approval in House and Senate committees". SCMP.
  7. ^ Oswald, Rachel (15 October 2019). "Roll Call: House passes trio of measures supporting Hong Kong protesters". Roll Call.
  8. ^ Kirby, Jen (17 March 2021). "Vox: US sanctions Chinese officials over the latest crackdown on Hong Kong's democracy". Vox.
  9. ^ "Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration Hearing: Supporting Hong Kong's Pro-Democracy Movement Through U.S. Refugee Policy, December 16, 2020". 16 December 2020.
  10. ^ "CSPAN: Hong Kong Democracy Council".
  11. ^ "Congressional-Executive Commission on China and Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Joint Hearing: China, Genocide, and the Olympics, May 18, 2021". 18 May 2021.
  12. ^ "Policy Fact Sheets". HKDC. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  13. ^ Forsythe, Michael (16 January 2021). "The New York Times, Protesters Who Fled Hong Kong Arrive in U.S., Seeking Asylum". New York Times.
  14. ^ Chao, Deng; Wang, Joyu (20 June 2020). "The Wall Street Journal: How Five Hong Kong Protesters Escaped by Speedboat". The Wall Street Journal.
  15. ^ Munroe, Tony; Martina, Michael (23 July 2021). "China retaliates with sanctions on former U.S. commerce secretary Ross, others". Reuters. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  16. ^ "Political Prisoner Database". HKDC. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  17. ^ "Hong Kong Political Prisoners". HKDC. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  18. ^ "7ASecurity, OTF Red Team Lab partner, completes Blackbox Pentest and Privacy Audit of LeaveHomeSafe App". Open Technology Fund. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  19. ^ "LeaveHomeSafe". www.leavehomesafe.gov.hk. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  20. ^ "Business Not As Usual". HKDC. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
  21. ^ a b Hutton, Mercedes (2022-10-26). "Website of NGO Hong Kong Democracy Council partially blocked in city amid fears over erosion of open internet". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
  22. ^ "Community Seed Fund Program". HKDC. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  23. ^ "Revolution of Our Times". HKDC. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  24. ^ "Hong Kong Summit". HKDC. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
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