Hong Kong Democracy Council
 | |
| Abbreviation | HKDC |
|---|---|
| Founded | September 17, 2019 |
| Founder | Samuel Chu |
| Type | 501(c)(3) organization |
| 84-2856766[1] | |
| Focus | Democratic development in Hong Kong Hong Kong Americans |
| Location | |
| Method | advocacy |
| Samuel Chu | |
Key people | Nathan Law (Advisor) Glacier Kwong (Staff) Victoria Tin-bor Hui (Board) Jerome Cohen (Advisor) Annie Boyajian (Board) Anna Yeung-Cheung (Board) Larry Diamond (Advisor) Sharon Hom (Advisor) Andrew Nathan (Advisor) Alex Chow (Advisor) |
| Employees | 2 (2021) |
| Volunteers | 34 (2021) |
| Website | hkdc |
Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC), is a Washington, DC-based nonpartisan, non-governmental organization (NGO) with the stated mission "to protect Hong Kong’s basic freedoms, autonomy, and the rule of law."[2][3] 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,[4][5] economic sanctions and visa bans on Chinese and Hong Kong officials undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy and human rights,[6] and additional legislation in Congress including immigration and refugee protection for Hong Kongers.[7] HKDC's staff, board members, and advisors have also testified in front of the United States Congress.[8][9]
In response, Hong Kong authorities issued arrest warrants against HKDC's Managing Director Samuel Chu in July 2020,[10] making him the first foreign citizen to be targeted under the Hong Kong National Security Law.[11][12]
In January 2021, HKDC helped to rescue five Hong Kong protesters by sponsoring the first group of humanitarian parole visas to the US.[13] The five men, age 18-26, fled by boat to Taiwan in July of 2020, soon after China imposed the Hong Kong national security law on June 30, 2020.[14]
Chu was the managing director of the Hong Kong Democracy Council until August 2021, when he stepped down together with fellow core members Victoria Hui and Annie Boyajian. Chu and Boyajian did not give reasons for their resignations; Hui hinted at difficulties within the board after efforts to recruit new leaders had failed.[15]
See also
- Diaspora politics in the United States
- Hong Kong
- Democratic development in Hong Kong
- Samuel Chu
- Glacier Kwong
- Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act
- Hong Kong Autonomy Act
- Magnitsky Act
- Nathan Law
- Alex Chow
- Jerome Cohen
References
- ^ "IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search".
- ^ 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.
- ^ Hui, Mary (16 August 2020). "Quartz: "We are all Hong Kongers": How the Hong Kong protest movement became the world's fight". Quartz.
- ^ Delaney, Robert (26 September 2019). "SCMP: US bill on Hong Kong democracy, which has angered China, gets approval in House and Senate committees". SCMP.
- ^ Oswald, Rachel (15 October 2019). "Roll Call: House passes trio of measures supporting Hong Kong protesters". Roll Call.
- ^ Kirby, Jen (17 March 2021). "Vox: US sanctions Chinese officials over the latest crackdown on Hong Kong's democracy". Vox.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "CSPAN: Hong Kong Democracy Council".
- ^ "Congressional-Executive Commission on China and Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Joint Hearing: China, Genocide, and the Olympics, May 18, 2021". 18 May 2021.
- ^ Baculinao, Eric; Suliman, Adela (1 August 2020). "NBC News: Hong Kong issues arrest warrant for U.S. citizen under new national security law". NBC News.
- ^ Strumpf, Dan (7 August 2020). "Wall Street Journal, Hong Kong's Exiled Dissidents Become Fugitives From China". Wall Street Journal.
- ^ Chu, Samuel (10 August 2020). "New York Times: Why Is China Coming After Americans Like Me in the U.S.?". The New York Times.
- ^ Forsythe, Michael (16 January 2021). "The New York Times, Protesters Who Fled Hong Kong Arrive in U.S., Seeking Asylum". New York Times.
- ^ Chao, Deng; Wang, Joyu (20 June 2020). "The Wall Street Journal: How Five Hong Kong Protesters Escaped by Speedboat". The Wall Street Journal.
- ^ Cheng, Selina (24 August 2021). "Hong Kong pro-democracy lobbying group in Washington DC sees leadership depart". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 28 August 2021.