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UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrived in Beijing today for a two-day visit in a bid to improve UK-China relations. Pressure on Lammy to push harder for Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai’s release grew in the run-up to the China visit.
Former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak asked about Lammy’s upcoming trip to Beijing during the ‘Prime Minister’s Questions’ period, in the UK Parliament, noting Jimmy Lai “is a British citizen who has been wrongly imprisoned in Hong Kong for four years.” Prime Minister Keir Stammer in response said Lai’s freedom is a priority for the government and called on Hong Kong authorities to release him immediately.
On the same day that Lammy was set to fly to China, the British Parliament held a Westminster Hall debate on UK - Hong Kong relations and discussed visas, access to services, and security for Hong Kongers living in the UK. MPs from all major parties participated and raised questions about protections for Hong Kongers from transnational repression, the presence of secret Chinese police stations, and the ongoing trial and detention of British citizen Jimmy Lai.
A group of UK parliamentarians who have been sanctioned by China have written a letter to Lammy urging him to raise the case of political prisoners in Hong Kong, including Lai, during his meetings in Beijing.
The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK) Foundation’s UK Director Mark Sabah spoke with The Times. “Lammy should be standing up for British interests, national security, detained British citizens, and should openly demand Lai’s immediate release,” Sabah said. “In fact, if he really wanted to show strength on a world stage, David Lammy should demand that any trade deals are dependent on Jimmy Lai’s release as a precursor. It’s time for the UK to take back some of its control from Beijing. Now would be a good time for David Lammy to do so.”
Former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen also called for the immediate release of Jimmy Lai during an interview with Voice of America. Her remarks came shortly after she delivered a speech at the Forum 2000 democracy conference in the Czech capital Prague.
Lai has been imprisoned for over 1,300 days on National Security Law charges in a much-delayed ongoing case. Proceedings were expected to be completed this past spring; instead, the defence has not even started to present its evidence. His trial is expected to resume on November 20, 2024.
Canada - Hong Kong
PEN Canada presented Jimmy Lai with the One Humanity Award in Toronto. Since the creation of the One Humanity Award in 2006, the award has been given to international writers, journalists, and academics who have endured repression in exercising their freedom of expression.
PEN stated that Lai’s ongoing detention is “emblematic of the devastating impact the 2020 National Security Law has had on freedom of expression across Hong Kong,” and his case is “illustrative of the government’s willingness to use the legal system to silence dissent.”
U.S. - Hong Kong
Frances Hui, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator of the CFHK Foundation, testified before Oklahoma’s House of Representatives about transnational repression by the Chinese Communist Party and the need to pass the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) in the state. Drawing from her own experience as a Hong Kong dissident and U.S. college student who has faced death threats and harassment by CCP agents, Hui emphasised the importance of passing a foreign agent disclosure act to combat such repression. A written statement of her testimony and a video of the hearing are now available online.
UK - Hong Kong
The CFHK Foundation co-sponsored an advertisement ahead of Foreign Secretary Lammy’s trip to China in The Times. The ad notes “British citizen, journalist and prisoner of conscience Jimmy Lai has been unjustly imprisoned in Hong Kong for nearly four years,” and calls on Lammy to demand his immediate release.
The Australian short film “2023 Hong Kong Neon Jimmy Lai in Chains” will be screened at the British Urban Film Festival on October 20, 2024, from 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM at Rich Mix Cinema, 35-47 Bethnal Green Rd, London. Directed by Mark Tarrant and Blaise Borrer, the documentary tells the story of artist Steven Cole's life-size, animated, neon sign depicting Hong Kong democracy activist Jimmy Lai in chains.
Book your tickets here: https://britishurbanfilmfestival.co.uk/
🔥 ‘Flame of Freedom’ Blog
David Lammy’s Deferral of Tsai Ing-wen’s Visit: A Paradox of Prioritising Economic Ties with China
This blog is authored by Simon Cheng, Founder of Hongkongers in Britain and exiled Hong Kong pro-democracy activist. Hong Kong authorities have placed a HK$1 million bounty on Cheng’s head.
“By prioritising economic ties over support for democratic allies, the UK sends a dangerous signal: that economic interests outweigh moral responsibilities. Such complacency will only embolden the CCP's authoritarianism and escalate its aggression toward Taiwan and beyond.”
Read More Here.