MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the arrest of Cardinal Zen and the trustees of the 612 relief fund in Hong Kong

5.7.2022 - (2022/2751(RSP))

with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 144 of the Rules of Procedure

Bernard Guetta, Abir Al‑Sahlani, Petras Auštrevičius, Malik Azmani, Nicola Beer, Izaskun Bilbao Barandica, Dita Charanzová, Olivier Chastel, Klemen Grošelj, Svenja Hahn, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Nathalie Loiseau, Karen Melchior, Urmas Paet, Dragoş Pîslaru, Frédérique Ries, Michal Šimečka, Nicolae Ştefănuță, Dragoş Tudorache, Marie‑Pierre Vedrenne, Hilde Vautmans, Engin Eroglu
on behalf of the Renew Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B9-0358/2022

NB: This motion for a resolution is available in the original language only.

B9‑0360/2022

European Parliament resolution on the arrest of Cardinal Zen and the trustees of the 612 relief fund in Hong Kong

(2022/2751(RSP))

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the Declaration Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) Josep Borrell on behalf of the European Union on the Chief Executive election of 8 May 2022.

 

–  having regard to all its previous resolutions on Hong Kong, in particular those of 20 January 2022 on violations of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong, of 8 July 2021 on Hong Kong, notably the case of Apple Daily, of 21 January 2021 on the crackdown on the democratic opposition in Hong Kong, of 19 June 2020 on the PRC national security law for Hong Kong and the need for the EU to defend Kong Kong’s high degree of autonomy, of 18 July 2019 on the situation in Hong Kong and of 24 November 2016 on the case of Gui Minhai, jailed publisher in China,

–  having regard to the statements by the of 20 December 2021 on the Legislative Council Election held on 19 December 2021, and of 9 June 2021 on the changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system, to his declaration on behalf of the EU of 11 March 2021 on Hong Kong’s electoral system, and to all his other statements and declarations on the situation in Hong Kong,

–  having regard to the Basic Law of the Special Administrative Region (SAR) of Hong Kong, which was adopted on 4 April 1990 and entered into force on 1 July 1997,

–  having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 10 December 1948,

–  having regard to Rules 144 of its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the EU Annual Reports on Human Rights and Democracy of the 29 June 2021

–  having regard to the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Statement on the Chief Executive Selection of 9 May 2022 and of 20 December 2021;

 

1. whereas on May 11 and 12, 2022 the Cardinal Joseph Zen, Margaret NG, Hui Po-Keung and Denise Ho were arrested under the Article 29 of Hong Kong’s National Security Law for conspiring with foreign forces by serving as trustees for the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund;

 

2. whereas the fund was set up in 2019  to help protesters  cover the legal or medical costs and to provide psychological support; whereas the fund was disbanded in September after the National Security police issued a question on whether the entity had violated the security law;

 

3. whereas former Hong Kong Bishop Joseph Zen and others have denied charges for allegedly failing to register a relief fund aimed at financially assisting protesters during the 2019 anti-government protests;

 

4. whereas 90 years old Cardinal Zen has been a staunch supporter of pro-democracy causes in Hong Kong for many decades;

 

5. whereas Hui Po- Keung was arrested at Hong Kong International Airport; whereas this actions indicates the intention of the local authorities to impose a politically motivated exit ban on certain residents;

 

6. whereas the 1st of July marks the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s transfer of sovereignty from the United Kingdom to the People’s Republic of China; whereas when Chinese authorities assumed sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997 promised to respect the city’s freedoms and rights protected in the Basic Law and under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

 

7. whereas the Hong Kong’s government dismantles all institutions safeguarding the rule of law and human rights of the Hong Kong people;

 

8. whereas the Chinese authorities imposed a National Security Law on the city; whereas the new law undermines Hong Kong’s rule of law and human rights freedoms, as they are established in the Basic Law; whereas the NSL has been applied to dismantle basic civil and political rights in Hong Kong, amongst other the freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly;

 

9. whereas People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong authorities moved away from the ultimate aim of universal suffrage as set out in Hong Kong’s Basic Law by increasing the number of non-elected members appointed to the Election Committee and dramatically curtailing the number of voters eligible to participate in the Committee elections; whereas the ‘one country-two systems’ principle in Hong Kong was further undermined  by the National Security Law;

 

10. whereas over 10,000 people have been arrested from the Hong Kong authorities since the 2019 protests; whereas 2,500 have been prosecuted and more than 1,100 people have been convicted; whereas 183 have been arrested as of 28th March 2022 under the NSL; whereas since the start of 2022, there were 721 political prisoners in Hong Kong;

 

11. whereas the Chinese government selected John Lee, as the only candidate in the Hong-Kong elections; whereas John Lee is responsible for police abuse during the 2019 protests was appointed as the next Chief Executive; whereas the outgoing Chief Executive pointed out that Hong Kong is falling to 148th worldwide in respect for human rights and press freedom;

 

12. whereas more than 50 civil society organisations have disbanded, including the Civil  Human Rights Front, HK Alliance, Amnesty International and Friedrich Naumann Foundation since the imposition of the National Security Law; whereas almost all independent and pro-democracy media have been closed since the imposition of the NSL, notably Apple Daily;

 

1. Condemns in the strongest terms the arrest of five trustees of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, Cardinal Zen, Cyd Ho, Denise Ho, Hui Po-Keung, Margaret Ng.

 

2. Calls upon the Government of the People’s Republic of China to lift all the prosecutions of activists, journalists and others for their freedom of free speech and peaceful assembly; calls for the immediate and unconditional release and the dropping of all charges against all peaceful Hong Kong protesters arrested in the last few years;

 

3. Calls upon the Government of the People’s Republic of China to abolish the National Security Law that goes against International Law and the fundamental international humanitarian laws or to bring it into conformity with the ICCPR;

 

4. Calls on the Chinese authorities to establish an independent, international panel of experts to review the alleged instances of police abuse;

 

5. Expresses its concerns over the selection process for the Chief Executive in Hong Kong as part of a continued assault on political pluralism, fundamental freedoms and the expansion of Beijing’s oppressive policies in the city;

 

6. Regrets the violation of democratic principles and political pluralism in the region of Hong Kong; expresses its concerns over the endeavours to dismantle the ‘one country, two systems’ principle.

 

7. Calls on the Commission, the Council and the Member States to impose financial and travel sanctions on senior Hong Kong officials, including police, who are involved in abuses;

 

8. Calls on the Commission, the Council and the Member States to support the 50 United Nation human rights experts to establish a special mandate at the UN Human Rights Council to monitor and report on human rights conditions across China, including Hong Kong;

 

9. Calls on the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities to abide by their national and international commitments, in particular electing the Chief Executive and members of the Legislative Council by universal suffrage;

 

10. Urges the Government of the People’s Republic of China to fully cooperate with the UN human rights system and grant unhindered access to an independent commission of inquiry for a thorough assessment of the human rights situation in the Hong Kong administrative Region;

 

11. Condemns the repeatedly violations  of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights from Hong Kong; and the severe restriction on the freedom of expression, freedom of association and freedom of the press in Hong Kong;
12. Calls on the Hong Kong Chief Executive to withdraw plans to introduce Article 23 of the NSL and to recommit to upholding the Basic Law, which guarantees freedom of association, freedom of assembly, freedom of expression and freedom of religion and belief;
13. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Government and Parliament of the People’s Republic of China, and the Chief Executive and the Assembly of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.