Amnesty International, an international human rights organization, announced on the 25th that it has decided to close an organization in Hong Kong in consideration of the safety of its employees under the recently enacted National Security Law.
Amnesty said in a statement today that it will close its Hong Kong office by the end of this month and its Asia Pacific headquarters before the end of the year.
He also said that functions that originally dealt with human rights research and human rights advocacy will be transferred to other parts of the region.
Amnesty said: “We have made this decision with a very heavy heart, because Hong Kong’s national security laws have made it virtually impossible for human rights groups to operate freely due to fears of serious retaliation from the authorities.”
“Hong Kong has long been considered an ideal place for international NGOs to work, but the recent increase in the crackdown on human rights groups and trade unionists by Hong Kong authorities has made it difficult to sustain their activities in such an environment,” he added. I did.
The national security law introduced by Hong Kong authorities in June last year has comprehensively restricted the activities of residents on the grounds of foreign collusion, terrorism, separatism, and overthrow of the regime.
More than 150 people have been arrested in Hong Kong since the National Security Law came into effect.
Amnesty has operated two offices in Hong Kong for over 40 years.
VOA News
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