Hong Kong Watch

Hong Kong Watch is a United Kingdom-based nongovernmental organization focused on monitoring human rights, civil liberties, democratic institutions, and the rule of law in Hong Kong. The organization presents its work as independent analysis and policy advocacy rather than as a commercial service. Its activities include producing research and reports, publicizing the cases of imprisoned or persecuted Hong Kong democracy activists, engaging policymakers, and supporting international discussion of Hong Kong’s constitutional and human-rights situation. The organization was founded by British human-rights activist Benedict Rogers in December 2017. Its creation followed Rogers’s removal from a flight at Hong Kong International Airport and refusal of entry to Hong Kong in October of that year. Rogers had previously lived in Hong Kong and had been involved in campaigning on behalf of pro-democracy figures including Joshua Wong, Nathan Law, Alex Chow, and Jimmy Lai. He linked the organization’s mission to what he regarded as the United Kingdom’s continuing moral and legal responsibilities under the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Hong Kong Watch was formally launched at a reception held at Speaker’s House in the UK Parliament on 11 December 2017. Johnny Patterson served as its founding director, while Rogers became chair of trustees. The organization’s public profile developed around reports and advocacy concerning restrictions on political participation, prosecutions of activists, the operation of Hong Kong’s rule-of-law institutions, and the effect of developments in mainland China on Hong Kong’s autonomy and freedoms. In 2020, members of Hong Kong Watch’s leadership worked with other human-rights advocates to establish the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, an international parliamentary pressure group addressing human rights in China, including the treatment of Uyghurs and the erosion of democracy in Hong Kong. In September 2020, Rogers joined the organization’s staff as chief executive officer, and Patterson moved to the role of policy director. The organization also added Sam Goodman as a senior policy adviser and Joey Siu, a Hong Kong activist living in exile, as an associate based in Washington, DC. Hong Kong Watch combines research, public communications, parliamentary engagement, and campaigning. Its work is directed primarily at audiences in the United Kingdom and other international democracies, while its subject matter concerns Hong Kong and the relationship between Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, and the People’s Republic of China. The organization has also participated in visible protest activity, including opposition to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. In February 2022, reports stated that internet service providers in Hong Kong had blocked access to its website; the organization said it believed the blocking had been ordered by police. Hong Kong Watch remains an advocacy and monitoring organization rather than a conventional consumer-facing brand.

Hong Kong Watch emerged from a period of intensified concern about the future of Hong Kong’s political freedoms and legal autonomy. Its founder, Benedict Rogers, had lived in Hong Kong from 1997 to 2002 and later became an outspoken supporter of the territory’s democracy movement. Following the 2014 Hong Kong protests and controversies surrounding the taking of oaths by legislators, Rogers became increasingly critical of what he viewed as mainland China’s growing pressure on Hong Kong’s democratic institutions. He also campaigned on behalf of prominent democracy activists, including Joshua Wong, Nathan Law, Alex Chow, and Jimmy Lai. On 11 October 2017, Rogers arrived at Hong Kong International Airport on a flight from Bangkok but was refused entry. Immigration officials escorted him from the airport and placed him on a return flight to Thailand. Rogers had reportedly been warned that he might be denied entry. The incident prompted criticism from British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who sought an explanation from Hong Kong and Chinese authorities. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson defended the decision as a matter within China’s sovereignty and suggested that Rogers understood whether his proposed visit involved interference in Hong Kong’s internal affairs or judicial independence. The day after the incident, Rogers said he would establish an organization dedicated to monitoring human rights, freedoms, and the rule of law in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Watch was formally launched on 11 December 2017 at a reception hosted at Speaker’s House in the UK Parliament. Rogers became chair of trustees and Johnny Patterson was appointed founding director. The organization grounded its advocacy in the proposition that the United Kingdom retained a moral and legal responsibility to speak about Hong Kong under the Sino-British Joint Declaration. During its early years, Hong Kong Watch developed as a research and advocacy body. Its stated mission was to provide independent and comprehensive analysis of freedom and human-rights conditions in Hong Kong. It used reports, public statements, policy engagement, and campaigning to draw international attention to prosecutions of activists, restrictions on political participation, and questions concerning Hong Kong’s autonomy and rule of law. In 2020, Hong Kong Watch leaders worked with other human-rights figures, including Luke de Pulford, to establish the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China. The alliance became an international parliamentary pressure group addressing human-rights issues in China, including the persecution of Uyghurs and the condition of democracy in Hong Kong. In September of the same year, Rogers joined Hong Kong Watch’s staff as chief executive officer, while Patterson moved into the policy director role. Sam Goodman joined as senior policy adviser, and Joey Siu, a Hong Kong activist living in exile, became an associate based in Washington, DC. The organization also participated in direct public protest. On 17 October 2021, Joey Siu and Tibetan student activist Tsela Zoksang were among three activists arrested at the Acropolis of Athens while protesting the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. After an initial banner was removed, the activists displayed Tibetan and Hong Kong flags and chanted slogans. They were charged under laws protecting archaeological sites, released the following day, and permitted to leave Greece subject to an order to return for a later court appearance. In February 2022, several reports stated that Hong Kong internet service providers, including PCCW, CMHK, HKBN, and Netvigator, had blocked access to the Hong Kong Watch website. The organization said on social media that it believed the blocking was enforced at the direction of police. The incident illustrated the increasingly restrictive environment in which the organization operated and reinforced its focus on international advocacy. Hong Kong Watch’s documented role remains that of a UK-based monitoring and policy organization devoted to Hong Kong’s human rights, freedoms, and rule-of-law conditions.

• 2022

  Website reportedly blocked in Hong Kong

  [1]Hong Kong Watchen.wikipedia.org

  The organization said its website had been blocked by multiple Hong Kong internet service providers and attributed the action to a police order.

• 2021

  Protest at the Acropolis of Athens

  [1]Hong Kong Watchen.wikipedia.org

  Hong Kong Watch associate Joey Siu participated in a protest against the Beijing Winter Olympics at the Acropolis and was arrested with other activists.

• 2020

  Leadership and staff expansion

  [1]Hong Kong Watchen.wikipedia.org

  Rogers became chief executive officer, Patterson became policy director, and Goodman and Siu joined the organization’s wider team.

• 2020

  Work connected to the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China

  [1]Hong Kong Watchen.wikipedia.org

  Hong Kong Watch leaders helped create the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, an international parliamentary advocacy group addressing human-rights issues in China.

• 2017

  Benedict Rogers denied entry to Hong Kong

  [1]Hong Kong Watchen.wikipedia.org

  Rogers was refused entry at Hong Kong International Airport after arriving from Bangkok, an incident that directly preceded the creation of Hong Kong Watch.

• 2017

  Hong Kong Watch launched

  [1]Hong Kong Watchen.wikipedia.org

  The organization was launched at a reception at Speaker’s House in the UK Parliament on 11 December.

An international human-rights monitoring and policy-advocacy organization focused on Hong Kong.

• Research · 2017

  Human-rights monitoring and reports

  Hong Kong Watch researches and communicates developments affecting human rights, civil liberties, democratic participation, and the rule of law in Hong Kong. Its output is intended to provide international policymakers, parliamentarians, journalists, and civil-society audiences with analysis of political and legal developments.

• Advocacy · 2017

  Policy advocacy

  The organization engages policymakers and public institutions on Hong Kong-related human-rights concerns. Its advocacy has included attention to imprisoned activists, democratic freedoms, the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and international responses to changes in Hong Kong’s political and legal environment.

• Campaigning · 2020

  International campaigning

  Hong Kong Watch uses public campaigning and international partnerships to raise awareness of Hong Kong’s situation. Its documented activities include cooperation connected to the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China and participation in protests concerning the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

• 2021Protest against the Beijing Winter Olympics

  Greece · Hong Kong · International

  Hong Kong Watch associate Joey Siu joined a protest at the Acropolis of Athens against the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. The protest involved Hong Kong and Tibetan symbols and resulted in arrests.

  Outcome. The activists were released the following day and allowed to leave Greece, although they were ordered to return for a later court appearance.

  Source
• 2020International parliamentary advocacy on China

  International

  Hong Kong Watch leaders worked with other human-rights advocates to create the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, which addressed human-rights concerns in China, including the situation in Hong Kong and the persecution of Uyghurs.

  Source
• 2017Campaigning for Hong Kong democracy activists

  United Kingdom · Hong Kong · International

  Before and during the organization’s formation, Benedict Rogers publicly campaigned on behalf of Hong Kong pro-democracy figures including Joshua Wong, Nathan Law, Alex Chow, and Jimmy Lai.

  Source

• 2020

  Expansion into international parliamentary advocacyStrategy

  Background

  The organization sought to broaden international political attention to human-rights conditions in Hong Kong and China.

  Action taken

  Hong Kong Watch leaders worked with other human-rights figures to establish the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China.

  Aftermath

  The organization’s work became connected to a wider international parliamentary campaign addressing human-rights issues in China.

  Source

• 2017

  Creation of a dedicated Hong Kong monitoring organizationStrategy

  Background

  Benedict Rogers’s refusal of entry to Hong Kong followed his advocacy on behalf of democracy activists and criticism of pressure on Hong Kong’s political institutions.

  Action taken

  Rogers announced the formation of an NGO focused on monitoring human rights, freedoms, and the rule of law in Hong Kong, which was launched later that year.

  Aftermath

  Hong Kong Watch became a UK-based platform for research, international advocacy, and campaigning on Hong Kong-related human-rights issues.

  Source

1. 1Hong Kong Watchen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Hong Kong Watch official websitehongkongwatch.org