TOP NEWS
The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK) Foundation condemned the detention of our staffer Frances Hui’s parents by Hong Kong’s national security police as a bullying act of repression aimed at silencing her activism.
Frances Hui, CFHK Foundation Advocacy and Policy Coordinator, said:
“My parents and I have had no contact since I left Hong Kong in 2020. The police arranged a crowd of media to photograph their exit from the police station — to humiliate them. This is a deliberate attempt to intimidate and silence me. I will keep moving forward, fighting and speaking up to ensure that one day no one has to suffer this kind of repression for standing against authoritarianism.”
Sam Cooper at The Bureau followed up, quoting Frances Hui and CFHK Foundation President Mark Clifford. Index on Censorship, a freedom of expression NGO, also quoted the Foundation in its weekly newsletter.
The CFHK Foundation welcomed the reintroduction of the bipartisan Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices Certification Act (HR 2661) by Co-Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) Representative Chris Smith, and former CECC Co-Chair Rep. Jim McGovern.
Jonathan Stivers, U.S. Director at the CFHK Foundation, said:
“Hong Kong is no longer autonomous from China and there is no longer any justification for Hong Kong to have its own additional diplomatic posts, staff, privileges, and immunities in the United States, as if it is a foreign country.”
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Certification Act could pave the way for the closure
of HKETOs in Washington, D.C., New York and San Francisco. (CFHK Foundation)
U.S. – Hong Kong
The CFHK Foundation opposes the Trump Administration’s decision to shut Radio Free Asia.
A joint statement with a coalition of organisations that advocate for freedom and human rights in China read: “We are writing to express our strong opposition to the Trump Administration’s decision to terminate U.S. funding for Radio Free Asia (RFA). RFA serves as a critical source of information on the situation in the PRC and is an effective counter to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) aggression and malign influence in the Indo-Pacific region. We call on the Trump Administration and members of Congress to restore U.S. funding for RFA as soon as possible before irreparable harm is done.”
The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation announced that Jimmy Lai is an Honorary 2025 Bradley Prize winner. National Review covered the story.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong social worker Jackie Chen was jailed for three years and nine months. A retrial found her guilty of ‘rioting’ during the 2019 protests, when she served as a police monitor working to keep the peace.
The Hong Kong Accountability Archive launched — an independent, searchable and secure database that contains videos on the policing of the 2019 pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong and a data visualization tool.
UK – Hong Kong
The British government on Thursday lifted the requirement for British National Overseas passport holders to have an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to travel to the UK.
The Wall Street Journal interviewed Chloe Cheung for an Editorial Board opinion piece suggesting Beijing’s vindictive pursuit of the CFHK Foundation staffer shows why the British government should not approve a new Chinese super-embassy in London.
Spain’s Artículo 14 also shared Chloe Cheung’s story, highlighting her work with the CFHK Foundation.
Jimmy Lai Biography, ‘Troublemaker’ Updates
Mark Clifford spoke with Reason TV, the YouTube channel of the American libertarian think tank, about Jimmy Lai’s “cinematic” escape to Hong Kong, his pro-democracy campaigning, and what his trial portends for freedom worldwide if the CCP is left unchecked.
🔥Flame of Freedom Blog
Hong Kong Authorities Hone Cognitive Warfare at Home before Aiming Overseas
This blog is authored by CFHK Foundation Strategy and Public Affairs Adviser Shannon Van Sant.
“Cognitive warfare is a means of controlling people’s mental states through the manipulation of environmental stimuli. The human mind becomes the battlefield, and the goal is often to inspire fear and intimidation and divide societies. The Hong Kong government is increasingly waging this form of warfare on its own residents and Hong Kongers who have moved overseas.”
Read more here.