Stand with Hong Kong

Ensuring that the UK upholds its commitment to Hong Kong and the principle of democracy

Introduction

Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong is a grassroots organisation, who has come together to fight for freedom and democracy for Hong Kong. They approached Whitehouse to help them raise the profile of the Hong Kong crisis in parliament, to secure policy change that is supportive of Hongkongers and democracy and to increase UK media coverage of the issues they face.

Strategy

Whitehouse established the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Hong Kong, co-chaired by Baroness Bennet of Manor Castle and Alistair Carmichael MP, to spearhead parliamentary activity in support of Hong Kong. Whitehouse has utilised the APPG’s co- and vice-chairs to raise questions and debates in parliament, as well as Early Day Motions and Statutory Instruments, in support of Hong Kong on a range of topics, including British National (Overseas) citizenship and Magnitsky-style sanctions. As a result, we have helped to successfully lobby for the expansion of BN(O) rights and the introduction of the UK’s Magnitsky-style sanctions regime.

We have also undergone an APPG inquiry report into human rights abuses perpetrated by the Hong Kong Police Force against medical and humanitarian workers. This required months of secure evidence collection, witness testimonies, report writing and designing, all while ensuring that those who submitted evidence to our inquiry did so safely and with their identities fully protected. Whitehouse held a press conference to launch the report, attended by parliamentarians and journalists including Associated Press, Sky News, BBC News, The Times and NBC Universal. The launch of the report gained international coverage, and was featured in BBC News, ABC News, Washington Post, Sky News, Business Standard, Hong Kong Free Press, CityAM, Labour List, Green World, Newser, Divdiscourse, Press Reader, Hong Kong Apple Daily, NST, Barrons, Reformer, VOA News, and Business Standard. The Hong Kong Government even responded to the inquiry report, securing a second round of coverage the following day.

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Honk Kong has been extremely fortunate in having the professional services of Whitehouse consulting  as its secretariat, particularly in organising and administering the complex and controversial Inquiry which the APPG undertook into police brutality against humanitarian workers in Hong Kong.  The Inquiry generated significant numbers of witness statements and hearings, the handling of sensitive data, considerable security challenges, and the inevitable opposition of a totalitarian regime, all of which was handled with consummate skill and professionalism.