'With a heavy heart': Amnesty to shut Hong Kong offices due to security law
Hong Kong, China
Amnesty International on Monday said that it will shutter its Hong Kong offices because of the threat posed to staff by a national security law that has led to a sweeping crackdown.
The decision came the same day as a court in the Chinese city convicted a former food delivery driver of inciting secession by shouting slogans in the second national security case to come to trial.
Anjhula Mya Singh Bais, chair of Amnesty's board, said that the decision to close had been made "with a heavy heart" and was "driven by Hong Kong's national security law".
"(It) has made it effectively impossible for human rights organisations in Hong Kong to work freely and without fear of serious reprisals from the government," she added.
Amnestymaintains two offices in Hong Kong. One is a local branch that focuses on human rights and campaigns in the city. The recent reports included investigations into how the security law has been deployed and studies of the police's use of force against protesters.
The second office is a regional headquarters that carries out research and advocacy work across East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
Amnesty hassaid the local office would close on October 31 while the regional office would move out "by the end of 2021".
Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law in June last year that sets out punishment for anything it deems as subversion, secession, colluding with foreign forces and terrorism with up to life in prison, setting the city on a more authoritarian path.
Most high-profile democratic politicians and activists have been arrested under the new law or for protest-related charges, or are in self-exile.