Hope and Democracy in Hong Kong

Recap on the Canada-Hong Kong Policy Panel on 27 November 2019
Madeline Torrie (3L)

On 27 November 2019, the University of Toronto (UofT) Faculty of Law and the International Human Rights Program (IHRP) program welcomed influential speakers for the Canada-Hong Kong Policy panel. Guests filled the Moot Court Room for the discussion on the origins and implications of these political protests in Hong Kong on Canada and the region. More than 300,000 Canadians live in Hong Kong, and Canada has strong political and economic ties with the Hong Kong government. The scale of the protests also reached the law school; a week before the panel, Canadian universities urged that their students return home from exchange in Hong Kong due to the deteriorating safety considerations.

Left to Right: Lynette Ong, Kenneth Yau, Victor Falkenheim, Emily Lau, Vincent Wong, and David Mulroney (Credit: Madeline Torrie)

Distinguished speakers shared their insights with the audience. Osgoode Hall Professor and former member of parliament Craig Scott appeared as an opening speaker. The panel discussion was moderated by David Mulroney, who formerly served as Canada’s ambassador to China. The lively conversation featured a number of dynamic personalities from Hong Kong and Canada: Emily Lau, a Hong Kong politician and journalist; Kenneth Yau, a Canadian-Chinese Radio and wowTV host; Lynette Ong, a professor at UofT’s Asian Institute and Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy; Victor Falkenheim, a professor emeritus at UofT’s Department of Political Science and East Asian Studies; and IHRP’s own Vincent Wong, who leads the Global Media Freedom Model Laws project.

The Hong Kong protests began in June as an objection to a controversial bill. This bill would have allowed Hong Kong to extradite its citizens to China. However, even though the government withdrew the bill, the protests continued, as citizens called for greater democracy and an inquiry into allegations of police brutality that have occurred during the protests. For Mr. Wong, the impetus for organising the panel stemmed from the urgency of the political crisis, the length of the protests, the number of protesters and young people arrested or injured. Furthermore, Mr. Wong hoped that the panel would answer some of the following pressing questions: What does the transformation of one of the world’s most prominent cities into a police state say about democracy, human rights, and mass mobilization? What does it mean for the trajectory of the Chinese Communist Party and its relationship with the rest of the world? What does it say about global capitalism and neoliberalism? About combating police brutality in the 21^stcentury? And what should Canada’s role be given that Hong Kong is home to the largest number of Canadian citizens anywhere in the world save the United States? 

 Canada-Hong Kong Policy Panel Speakers and Event Translator (Credit: Madeline Torrie)

The panel included a lively discussion on a number of issues, from media infiltration in Canada, Canada’s trade relations with China, and whether Canada should use Magnitsky Act sanctions against China. Magnitsky Actsanctions are designed to sanction corrupt or rights abusing foreign officials, and it has been suggested as a tool to address human rights abuses carried out by Chinese officials. Mr. Wong suggested that employing these sanctions would play into a “Cold-War sort of mentality,” which could lead to negative consequences and create a wall between Hong Kongers and the mainland. On the other hand, Ms. Lau suggested the Act will create accountability for Chinese officials because they fear the repercussions of the Act.

For attendees, the discussion had three main takeaways. First, young people have the power to instigate change. Mr. Wong stated that “the engine of the mass protests in Hong Kong have been the students and young people whether they are frontliners, first-aiders, artists, march goers, student journalists, hunger strikers, social workers, or others.”  

Emily Lau and Vincent Wong (Credit: Madeline Torrie)

Second, there is a trend towards delegating international actors with the responsibility to enforce international human rights abroad. For example, through measures such as the Magnitsky Act, foreign countries are sanctioning human rights violations. This raises a number of questions: how can opportunistic state interests be disentangled from interests that form the core of foreign policy? Does this whitewash the human rights violations of states that are being appealed to for intervention, including Canada? Should human-rights focused foreign policies target mass movements and people, rather than states?

Third, freedom of the press is fundamental for the success of democracy. As Mr. Wong stated,“Freedom of the press is a lifeline to exert at least a modicum of counterpressure on the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities in cracking down on the protesters. It allows the story of Hong Kong to be told; to expose the lies and gaslighting of those in power; and to provide important historical context to local people as well as international audiences. The curtailment and blanket denial of freedom of information and of the press in the Mainland allows for more widespread and egregious human rights violations to occur there.”

The event concluded with the special recognition of one young person who has played an active role in the Hong Kong protests: Figo Chan, the 23-year-old who has been instrumental in mobilizing peaceful protests against the Hong Kong government. While Mr. Chan and Ms. Lau were visiting Canada over the past week, they were awarded the John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service. In addition to recognizing his achievements David Mulroney presented him a respirator set, which was “something we identify you with.” Speaking through an interpreter, Figo concluded with the hopeful message: “Do not worry about the young generation because the young generation has each other’s back.”

Figo Chan (left) accompanied by a translator (Credit: Madeline Torrie)