A Joint Statement on Korean Civil Society urging Hong Kong to abolish the National Security Law
< Statement >
We condemn the enactment of the National Security Law, which seeks to wipe out even the basic freedoms and human rights of Hong Kong citizens.
The Chinese government must repeal the National Security Law and ensure the One country Two system!
On 28 May 2020, the national People’s Congress of China passed the National Security Law, which applies to Hong Kong. Chinese government’s introduction of the National Security Law to Hongkong is wrong from its procedure. According to Article 23 of the Basic Law, enacted in 1997 after the return of Hong Kong sovereignty, it is stipulated that Hong Kong government has an authority to establish the National Security Law and related matters. That is, fact that the Chinese Government enacted the National Security Law is itself a denial and violation of Hong Kong Basic Law. Chinese government included the National Security Law in Annex III of the Hong kong Basic law, which is also the violation of the Basic Law since it only addresses matters outside of Hong kong’s autonomy including national defense, diplomacy, and etc. As such, Chinese government’s attempt to directly enact the national security law, though they know that it is clearly against the Hong Kong Basic Law, is of great concern in that it spoils its ‘one country two systems’ from the basis.
From March 2019 to nowadays, citizens of Hong Kong protest against the extradition law have consistently called for their 5 demands, observing the merciless police violence and Hongkong government ignoring the voice of citizens.
The fact that these 5 demands is common idea of Hong Kong citizen is shown by the unprecedented win of pro-democratic camp in November 2019, District Council elections. However, Hong Kong government didn’t accepted the citizen’s opinion, arrested 14 pro-democratic leaders last April during the COVID-19 pandemic and in May, they are trying to put the Hong Kong citizens in silence more actively. They enforced the Hong Kong citizens to submit to them rather than listening to their opinion to the point where they have came up with National Security Law to take away their basic human rights and freedom.
The National Security Law allows the China government to establish national security organs to “prevent, ban and punish the activities that is dangerous for national security.” Also, it rejects the intervention of foreign power. Now, Hong Kong citizens should live in fear that attending the protest to condemn the government or posting on the SNS can be punished. Hong Kong Civil Society Organizations and labor unions can be punished by only interacting with foreign civil society. The law has the main traits of National Security Law that sabotaged citizens freedom and rights in numerous countries including South Korea and took democracy back. If this law is enforced, the Hong Kong legislative elections which will be held in September will lose its meaning. It is because the government can dismiss the lawmakers who criticize the government based on National Security Law.
South Korea’s civil society, which has been allied for democracy and human rights in Hong Kong, strongly condemns the Chinese government’s direct passage of the National Security Law, which ignores Hong Kong’s basic law and oppresses Hong Kong citizens’ human rights. We are ashamed that South Korea still fails to abolish the National Security Law in South Korea, even though it knows how much it harms democracy and human rights in our society.
The National Security Law, which suppresses citizens for reasons of national security, is a matter of dignity and conscience that all mankind must protect together. Korean civil society is determined to fight and band together against the oppression and violence that will be inflicted on Hong Kong citizens starting with the implementation of the National Security Law, and we specifically call on:
– The Chinese government should abolish the Hong Kong National Security Law and respect the Hong Kong Basic Law.
– The Chinese government guarantees a “One country, two systems” principle to grant Hong Kong high autonomy and complies with international human rights standards.
– The Hong Kong government should accepts the five demands and stops violent suppression of protesters.
– As a member of the Human Rights Council, the South Korean government should express its’ opposition to the introduction of Hong Korng’s National Security Law and abolish Korea’s National Security Law.
– The international community, including the UN, should take joint action against the introduction of the Hong Kong National Security Law against the International Covenants on Human Rights.
June 1, 2020.
★Signatory from Organizations(49 organizaitons):
518now
Activists group for Human Rights ‘BARAM’
Asian Dignity Initiative
Catholic Human Right’s Comittee
Changdam Publishers
CitizenActionforGyungui-commons
Dasan Human Rights Center
Dialogue China 对话中国
Green Party Seoul
Gwangju Hong Kong solidarity committee
Hanwoory church
Hong Kong Protest Lennon Wall in South Korea
Human Rights Movement Space ‘Hwal’
IN-GAN-SA-RANG
Insoonism Comix
Institute of Universal Politics
Justice Party-Geonggido Party-Teenager Union
Justice Party Seoul Student Committee
Korean House for International Solidarity
Korean Institute of Law & Human Rights in Society
Korean Progressive Network ‘Jinbonet’
KwangHwaMoon TV
Migrant workers movement supporters group
Migrants Center Friend
MINBYUN – Lawyers for a Democratic Society Internatioanl Solidarity Committee
NANCEN Refugee Rights Center
NanumMunhwa
National Council of YMCAs of Korea
NCCK Human Rights Center
Palestine Peace and Solidarity in South Korea
pax christi korea
PeaceGround
People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD)
People , not Profit
Platform C
Society of International Solidarity in Justice Party
Solidarity for Another World
Solidarity for LGBT Human Rights of Korea
Solidarity for peace & humanrights
studio daal
The People’s Solidarity for Korea Youth Policy
younggreens
Youth Committee of the Suwon City Committee of the Justice Party
Gwangju Conference on Human Rights (Siloam People, Gwangju Welfare Sympathy Plus, Gwangju Human Rights Keeper ‘Hwal-Jjak’, Gwangju Citizens’ Community for Society without Academic Clique)
★ Individual Signatory(128 persons):
Aram Jung Back da eun Bang Seonil
basicincomeparty BO RAN LEE Bomi Kim Bora Chung bouquins Byeol Byun donghyun Chae hwang Chaeyoung yoon Chan CHANG TAI HSUAN Cho Yeongmin ChoHanJinHee Choi hyunsook Choi Jung Hwan Choi Jung hwan choi yoon hyeon choisoyoung Choiwoojin Daae park Daeyeong Jung Do Hyeon Lee Eseul Esther
GhangHyeon Hahn Haemin Ryu Han gun hee heeum Hong Seok Hwan Huiyun Bak Hye Kyu Yum hyoung jae young Hyunseo Lee Jaehyung Kim JANG EUNJI Jayeong Yoon Jeong Dajeong Jeongmin Lee Jesus Yoon Jiewuh Song Jihye Lee Kim Jimin Lee jinkyung johyunhee joo jeongyong Jooeun Kim Jung Sang Ho Junhsi Chang
Justin Jo KANG GIL YONG Kang Min Seok Kang Nam-Kyu Kim Chaeeun Kim Heesoo Kim hyunseung Kim Min Sook kIM Seoung Hoon Kim Seung Taek Koo Na Yeon Kyeongmi Cho KyuWhan Kim Law Mei Suet Lee Dongmin Lee Eunho Lee han-gyeol Lee Jae Hyeok Lee Jane Lee Minho Lee minyoung Lee myeung A LEE SEAUL BI Lee Yeon Ji
limbo Lo Yeuk Nam Majung minki choi Minsoo Minsoo Kim Miyeon Choi MMDD park chaeeun Park chang jin Park Do hyung Park Jae-Hyun Park Soon Heung Parkhyunseo polyin Rain Leung Regina Jang Rhee, Hanbeet Roh helena Samie Kim San Yi Seojung Park Seoyeon Kim SEUNGOK LEE
Simji Lee So Hyeonseung So Jung Lee Yun Sohee Jeong Song ha hoon sun-chul kim Sung Yu-hyoen Sunkyoung Cho SunMyeong Lee Tari Young-jung Na Te Yeun Kim Wang Woominho Woorin Kim X Yang sejeong Ye-Eun Kim Yeon A Yi Eung-Sang Yi Hye-yeong Yoo-suk Kim young bae Youngjoon Kim Yu HyunMi
Yu Seung Jae Yuen Ka Kit Yuna hwang yuntae Hwang Yuri An
