Hong Kong social leaders on Tuesday defended the special administrative region at meetings of the United Nations Human Rights Council, and criticized absurd calls by so-called “human rights advocates” for the release of a defendant on trial in the SAR on national security charges, adding that the city will be safer with the legislation of Article 23 of the Basic Law.

In a strongly-worded video speech, Gary Wong Chi-him – a board member of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies – hit out at the “defenders of human rights” for demanding the release of Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, who’s being tried on charges relating to endangering national security.

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“We all know that Jimmy Lai is a major mastermind and financial supporter at the highest level of command behind the riots in Hong Kong,” he said.

Hong Kong will be safer than ever before, and I believe the council will be pleased to know that human rights will continue to be observed and exercised in the SAR.

Junius Ho, Hong Kong legislator

Wong listed some of Lai’s misconducts, as heard during his ongoing trial, such as colluding with the United States government and urging the US to intervene in the HKSAR’s affairs; using his now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper to call for sanctions against the central government, as well as the HKSAR; and sponsoring nearly HK$100 million for local activists’ campaigns from 2013 to 2020.

Wong questioned whether such behavior would be accepted in the home countries of these “human right experts”. 

“I wonder if these ‘experts’ would accept someone like Jimmy Lai actively collaborating with foreign forces to undermine US or British rule, or a newspaper like Apple Daily publishing seditious articles and calling for sanctions against the US or UK governments?”

He stressed that Lai’s trial has nothing to do with freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association, and is being handled strictly in accordance with the law and on the basis of evidence. “While Hong Kong has returned to the right track, safeguarding national security remains our top priority.”  

In another speech at Geneva to the UN council, Hong Kong legislator and lawyer Junius Ho Kwan-yiu recalled his personal experience during the social unrest in the HKSAR in 2019, when he was attacked by a man with a knife in broad daylight.

“I was targeted for exercising my free speech in condemning the violence and destruction caused by those who were against a proposed extradition bill. I’m still here today because the knife had barely missed my heart, and I would not like to see that happen again in a civil society,” Ho said in his speech.

As a survivor of the social unrest and street violence in 2019, Ho said he’s pleased to see Hong Kong's about to complete legislation on Article 23 of the Basic Law of the HKSAR – a constitutional duty that has been neglected for 26 years since the city’s return to the People’s Republic of China in 1997.

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Ho said he’s confident that no one shall ever feel unsafe again and be subject to the bullying and intimidation of terrorists in Hong Kong.

“Hong Kong will be safer than ever before, and I believe the council will be pleased to know that human rights will continue to be observed and exercised in the SAR,” he said.