Verbatim report of proceedings

Wednesday, 14 June 2023 - Strasbourg

19.3. Deterioration of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong, notably the case of Jimmy Lai

  Przewodnicząca. – Kolejnym punktem porządku dziennego jest debata nad czterema projektami rezolucji w sprawie pogorszenia się sytuacji w zakresie podstawowych wolności w Hongkongu, w szczególności sprawy Jimmy’ego Laia (2023/2737(RSP))1.

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1 Patrz protokół posiedzenia.

  Miriam Lexmann, author. – Madam President, dear colleagues, Jimmy Lai faces a life in prison based on trumped up charges. His case is a strong example of how Beijing and the Hong Kong authorities are using the so-called national security law to undermine the rule of law and fundamental rights and freedoms in the city. What are they afraid of ? The answer is simple. They are afraid of freedom loving people like Jimmy Lai because they are the biggest threat to the lies and oppression of the CCP. The European Union must stand with Jimmy Lai and it must stand with Hong Kong. After all, the deterioration of the freedoms and rule of law in Hong Kong also implies us as the growing evidence of sanction evasion through the city continues to show. That’s why our response must be principled and clear. We must strengthen the EU office to intensify trial observation. The EU must finally impose targeted sanctions against John Lee and all other Hong Kong and PRC officials responsible for the ongoing human rights crackdown in the city.

And finally, it is time for the EU to review Hong Kong’s international status, seen since the loss of its autonomy is in a clear breach of international law. It is only as a result of the autonomy laws that the growing repression and deterioration of the rule of law takes place.

SĒDI VADA: ROBERTS ZĪLE
Priekšsēdētājas vietnieks

  Isabel Santos, Autora. – Senhor Presidente, o rolo compressor de Xi Jinping não abranda no esmagamento de todas as formas de liberdade e dos direitos humanos.

Partidos pró-democracia, jornalistas, ativistas, órgãos de comunicação social como o Apple Daily e o Stand News, organizações da sociedade civil, nada nem ninguém, em Hong Kong, fica incólume à sanha repressiva de Pequim.

A Lei de Segurança Nacional tem sido um instrumento útil na mão do regime para a produção das maiores arbitrariedades, pondo termo ao princípio «um país, dois sistemas» e violando a Declaração Conjunta Sino-Britânica, processo que está a ser replicado também em Macau, numa clara violação da Declaração Conjunta Sino-Portuguesa.

Jimmy Lai arrisca a condenação perpétua num processo judicial, sem garantias de imparcialidade. Pedimos a sua libertação imediata e incondicional, bem como de Chow Hang—tung, Albert Ho e de todas as vítimas de detenções arbitrárias.

A União Europeia não pode ficar em silêncio ou fechar os olhos, como também não pode ficar em silêncio ou fechar os olhos no caso de Joseph John, com dupla nacionalidade, portuguesa e chinesa, e o primeiro cidadão da União Europeia vítima da teia persecutória que a Lei de Segurança Nacional ajuda a tecer.

Exigimos a revogação da Lei de Segurança Nacional em Hong Kong e também em Macau e reiteramos o apelo ao Conselho para que acione o Regime Europeu de Sanções por violações de direitos humanos contra John Lee e outros responsáveis de Hong Kong e da República Popular da China.

  Georgios Kyrtsos, author. – Mr President, the Hong Kong authorities and the Chinese regime must understand that the European Parliament will make the case of publisher and press freedom symbol Jimmy Lai a basic criterion for the evolution of our relations and cooperation. 75 years old, Jimmy Lai, the founder of the now defunct pro-democracy media outlet Apple Daily, in 2020 the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Prize laureate has already been sentenced to a total of seven years and five months in prison and still faces a life in prison for supposedly colluding with foreign forces under the national security law adopted by the Chinese regime to suppress dissent in Hong Kong. We demand the immediate release of Jimmy Lai from prison, dropping all charges against him and the repeal of the national security law that suppresses media freedom. We attribute the deterioration of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong to China’s authoritarian strategy that does not recognise the special status of Hong Kong, despite the international obligations that Beijing has assumed. We also note that China even aspires to impose that authoritarian model to independent and sovereign Taiwan. Free Jimmy Lai, thus improving the prospects for our relations and cooperation.

  Jordi Solé, author. – Mr President, Madam Commissioner, since the Chinese authorities imposed the national security law three years ago, fundamental freedoms, rule of law and judiciary independence in Hong Kong have alarmingly deteriorated. Around 250 people have been arrested. Some media outlets have been forced to close, while labour unions and civil society groups have been disbanded. The case of Jimmy Lai, founder of Apple Daily, detained in February 2021 on trumped-up charges and facing a possible life sentence is probably amongst the ones that best represent the curtailing of freedoms in Hong Kong and the crackdown on the pro-democracy movement and on independent media outlets, their owners and their journalists.

But the list of people persecuted under the national security law is a long one. Let’s not forget other activists facing trial later this year, like Chow Hang-tung, placed in solitary confinement during her 34-hour hunger strike, or Albert Ho, whose bail was lifted on futile legal grounds and who suffers from cancer, or Benny Tai, Lee Cheuk-yan, Cyd HO, Joshua Wong and all the other members of the group Hong Kong 47. We urge the government of Hong Kong to immediately release and drop all charges against Jimmy Lai and all the other pro-democracy representatives and activists who have been suffering from state repression due to their commitment to the right to freedom of expression.

  Anna Fotyga, author. – Mr President, there are areas like commercial trade policy, freedom of internet or freedom of religion that under basic law and the Sino-British Joint Declaration were to clearly differ Hong Kong from mainland China, ruled by the Communist Party.

After the imposing of the national security law on Hong Kong, the fate of freedom-loving people like Jimmy Lai, his co-workers, in particular journalists of media outlets like Apple Daily and Stand News, were constant examples of harassment, intimidation and prosecution.

Six executives of Apple Daily arrested under possibly very harsh conditions plead guilty. Jimmy Lai refused to do so. His court proceedings start in September. We have to stand by people like Jimmy Lai, a very prominent pro-democracy activist and businessman of Hong Kong, fighting there for freedom of his people that are all over the world nowadays.

We should stand by them. We should follow the example of many other actions and impose targeted sanctions on those responsible for intimidating and prosecuting people of Hong Kong.

  Jiří Pospíšil, za skupinu PPE. – Pane předsedající, chci se připojit ke svým předřečníkům a také zde podpořit politického vězně Jimmyho Laie, který je v zásadě obětí tlaku komunistické Číny na Hongkong. Nesmíme zapomínat, že tento konkrétní případ nespravedlivého stíhání, politického stíhání je důsledkem toho, že Čína porušila své mezinárodní závazky, porušila to, co tvrdila při přebírání Hongkongu, že zachová tamní politický systém, že zachová systém svobody, plurality politických stran, že zachová svobodu projevu a lidská práva pro občany Hongkongu. A tady to je konkrétní případ, který jasně ukazuje, jak se Čína chová. Protlačila právní úpravu, která v zásadě má „chránit“ národní bezpečnost a přitom je používána proti osobám, které mají jiné politické názory než komunistická Čína. Mějme se na pozoru a dělejme vše pro to, abychom osvobodili toho politického vězně. Ale základní problém je u komunistické Číny.

  Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, au nom du groupe Renew. – Monsieur le Président, un peuple résiste et montre que la démocratie, l’état de droit et les droits de l’homme doivent être défendus au péril de sa propre liberté et de sa propre vie. Ce peuple, c’est le peuple de Hong Kong. Il nous montre que les valeurs universelles et la démocratie sont un idéal qui doit être défendu partout dans le monde. Des citoyens sont traqués, enfermés et réprimés. Aujourd’hui, c’est Jimmy Lai que nous mettons en lumière, mais en février dernier, ils étaient 50 à être jugés. Qui peut donner un chiffre exact de toutes ces condamnations et répressions?

Le Parlement européen a le devoir de les soutenir, car, à travers eux, c’est aussi nous, ce que nous sommes et ce que nous portons que les autorités chinoises attaquent. Il est temps de montrer à la Chine que l’Europe ne restera jamais silencieuse, que l’Europe ne se laissera jamais intimider et que l’Europe doit réellement créer les conditions de son autonomie par une unité renforcée, pour ne pas être silencieuse et pour ne pas être intimidée. À l’heure où les autoritarismes s’affirment, montrons toujours au monde, et au peuple de Hong Kong spécifiquement, que l’Europe est avec eux et que nous ne les abandonnerons jamais.

  Engin Eroglu (Renew). – Herr Präsident, sehr geehrte Frau Kommissarin. Jimmy Lai steht hier stellvertretend nicht nur für eine zwei- oder dreistellige Anzahl von Menschen, die in China wahrscheinlich lebenslang inhaftiert bleiben werden, weil sie für Grundrechte, für die Grundrechte von Freiheit, gekämpft haben. Wir sehen, dass in Hongkong innerhalb von wenigen Jahren eine komplette Vernichtung von jeglicher Art von Grundrechten vollzogen worden ist. Menschen, die in Freiheit mit westlichen Werten aufgewachsen sind, sind über Nacht aufgestanden und sind in wenigen Jahren jeglicher Freiheit beraubt.

Ich warne uns alle davor − und das ist die große Gefahr −, dass China zum Lehrstuhl gegen unser Wertesystem wird. Ich fordere auch die Kommission auf, alles zu tun, dass das keine Mode macht und dass das nicht exportiert wird, denn da sehe ich die große Gefahr.

Apple Daily war eine ganz normale Zeitung, und für das Herausbringen einer ganz normalen Zeitung wird man inhaftiert, lebenslänglich. Das können wir als Europäische Union, das kann aber auch die Europäische Kommission und das können auch die Mitgliedstaaten nicht einfach nur hinnehmen. Es reicht nicht, nur nach China zu reisen und das immer zu predigen. Ich bin der festen Überzeugung, dass wir dieses menschenverachtende System endlich in seine Schranken verweisen müssen und den Chinesen zeigen müssen, dass das System, das sie aufgebaut haben, nicht in die westliche Welt exportierfähig ist. Ich glaube, das geht nur mit viel Leidenschaft und nicht nur mit Sonntagsreden, denn es gefährdet unser aller Freiheit.

Catch-the-eye procedure

  Stanislav Polčák (PPE). – Pane předsedající, na úvod tohoto bodu takový povzdech. Kdyby se v předminulém století Pekingská smlouva podepisovala nikoli na 99 let, ale na 199 let, tak by ještě občany Hongkongu čekalo minimálně skoro jedno století svobody. A právě o svobodu lidí v Hongkongu nám jde. Nejen o Jimmyho Laie, ale také o svobodu všech lidí v Hongkongu, kteří jsou součástí naší širší rodiny. Volám po zacílení sankcí. Porušování lidských práv v Hongkongu je skutečně velmi citlivá záležitost a myslím si, že to musíme dávat patřičně najevo našim kolegům v Číně při našich rozhovorech. A jsem přesvědčen, že musíme přezkoumat mezinárodní status Hongkongu. To je prostě klíčová otázka v kontextu mezinárodního práva. A tento zákon o národní bezpečnosti, který je zaměřen na Hongkong a Macao, musí být součástí našich rozhovorů s čínskými představiteli. Toto je náš dluh, který dlužíme obyvatelům Hongkongu.

  Mick Wallace (The Left). – Mr President, I’ve lost count of the number of times that we’ve discussed Hong Kong and here. I’m surprised that you’re still not giving out about the protests in the place and the treatment of the protesters. Maybe it’s because only one protester was killed in two years and he wasn’t killed by the Chinese police.

China got Hong Kong back from the Brits in 1997. Hong Kong had never known anything remotely close to democracy under the Brits. It was an empire. There was a colonial empire and a fairly brutal one.

And the idea that we have the right to lecture China about what’s going on in Hong Kong. Who, in God’s name, are we to be lecturing anybody ? Why don’t we actually sort out things in our own place? We are so fond of interfering in other people’s business.

We were in China for ten days and we didn’t go on an official mission in April, you know what, and it was such an impressive country and such an impressive people. You know what? We should learn to be a bit more tolerant of other cultures and other nations and stop being judgmental and thinking that we are the only ones with values.

(End of catch-the-eye procedure)

  Kadri Simson, Member of the Commission. – Mr President, honourable Members of the European Parliament, since the last urgency debate on Hong Kong, the situation has continued to deteriorate. The revised ordinance and lawyers now requiring courts to obtain the chief executive’s approval before a foreign-based lawyer can represent a client in a case related to national security is of concern.

It is worrying that two days after the adoption of the revised ordinance, the Court of First Instance upheld a government decision to bar the British King’s Counsel from representing Jimmy Lai.

Moreover, the ongoing electoral overhaul of the district councils reduces drastically the number of directly elected members to less than one fifth, weakening the ability for people of Hong Kong to choose representatives overlooking district affairs and weakening a distinctive democratic feature of Hong Kong’s political system under the one country, two systems principle.

The EU has continued and will continue to raise the situation in Hong Kong, both publicly and privately. Serious concerns for the deterioration of the situation in Hong Kong were raised during the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue in February, as well as in all of the last EU statements made in the UN Human Rights Council.

The UN Human Rights Committee’s recommendation to immediately repeal the current national security law and the sedition provisions of the crime ordinance and stop implementing them was echoed in the strongest words at the Human Rights Dialogue with China.

Our work on trial observation continues, focusing on a series of emblematic individual cases, including Stand News, the national security law case of the 47 and the case of Jimmy Lai.

We are also committed to following closely the deterioration of the situation of fundamental freedoms in Macau and the alignment of the national security legislation on the drastic one from Hong Kong. Allow me to reassure you that the EU will not lose focus and will continue to stand by the people of Hong Kong.

  Sēdes vadītājs. – Debates ir slēgtas.

Balsošana notiks rītdien.