Human Rights Watch stated today that since June 12, 2019, when Hong Kong citizens took to the streets in a months-long democratic protest, the Chinese government has continued to stifle basic freedoms in the city. Government data shows that over 10,000 protesters have been arrested, with 2,910 facing charges and 1,475 convicted.
Governments worldwide should hold accountable Hong Kong and Chinese officials responsible for human rights abuses, including imposing sanctions such as asset freezes and travel bans.
“In five years of Hong Kong’s struggle, the government has not apologized or held the police accountable for abuses; instead, officials involved in the crackdown have been promoted to leadership positions,” said Wang Songlian, Acting China Director at Human Rights Watch. “Criticism of the police or seeking justice can now lead to imprisonment in Hong Kong.”
The proposed extradition bill in February 2019 sparked massive peaceful protests, with over a million people demonstrating on June 9 against its passage. By June 12, tens of thousands had gathered around the Legislative Council, occupying nearby streets. Police responded with tear gas, beanbag rounds, and rubber bullets, injuring dozens. Former Chief Executive Carrie Lam condemned the protests as “riots.”
Over the next six months, Hong Kong saw daily protests demanding the withdrawal of the extradition bill, an end to the riot classification, dropping charges against protesters, an independent inquiry into police misconduct, and genuine universal suffrage.
While the extradition bill was withdrawn, none of the other demands, including investigation into police violence, were met. Protests spread across Hong Kong, involving people from all walks of life. The largest protest on June 16, 2019, drew an estimated two million people in a city of seven million.
Hong Kong police increasingly used excessive and indiscriminate force against largely peaceful protesters, violating international human rights standards. They fired pepper balls, tear gas canisters, and rubber bullets, including shooting at close range, causing injuries like blindness.
Police actions included firing tear gas in subway stations and malls, assaulting protesters’ heads, chasing crowds in ways that risked stampedes, driving vehicles into crowds, and unnecessarily tackling protesters including pregnant women, children, and the elderly.
As of June 2024, China and Hong Kong have employed various tactics to suppress civil liberties, including enacting stringent national security laws, arresting and prosecuting elected legislators, dismantling civil society organizations and independent unions, and shutting down pro-democracy media.
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