IPAC is campaigning to hold the governments of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to account for violations of international law and abuses of human rights.
The IPAC Hong Kong Legal Accountability Project will call for governments to implement legal mechanisms designed to safeguard human rights and uphold international law in China and Hong Kong.
Magnitsky-style targeted sanctions
IPAC will call for Magnitsky-style sanctions against Chinese and Hong Kong officials and others who are involved in human rights violations in Hong Kong. This will include government officials, Legislative Council Members, police officers and others responsible for designing and implementing the National Security Law.
Audit of assets held by Chinese and Hong Kong officials abroad
IPAC will call for an audit of the financial assets of Chinese and Hong Kong officials across different legislatures to pave the way for Magnitsky-style sanctions. This builds on a recent Hong Kong Watch Report, which has revealed the extent to which Chinese and Hong Kong officials hold assets in foreign countries. Asset audits focussing on John Lee, Carrie Lam, Legislative Council Members, officials and even judges under the National Security Law in foreign countries would provide a route for asset freezes or other sanctions for those who are involved in human rights violation in Hong Kong.
Scrutinise and limit exports of dual-use goods to China and Hong Kong
Dual-use goods are items that have both commercial and military or proliferation applications. IPAC calls for all democratic states to further scrutinise and limit exports of specific sensitive equipment and technologies for end-use in China and Hong Kong, in particular where there are grounds to suspect undesirable use relating to internal repression, the interception of internal communications or surveillance. Items such as crowd control equipment, software that enables biometric recognition and surveillance technology should all be included in such considerations.
Ban the usage of products related to human rights abuse in Hong Kong and China
Brands that are complicit in human rights violations in China and Hong Kong should not be procured by governments. IPAC welcomes the bans placed on Hikvision technologies by some US and UK government bodies, in response to its role in the surveillance and repression of the Uyghurs. IPAC will continue to call for measures to ensure that taxpayer money is not being used to fund abuses in China and Hong Kong.
