October 20, 2023
Californian Human-Rights Advocates Criticize Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Trip to Hong Kong and mainland China
A joint statement by Hong Kongers, Chinese, Taiwanese, Tibetans, Uyghurs, and allies.
We are deeply disappointed by Governor Gavin Newsom’s decision to explicitly turn away from engaging on critical human rights issues — given the deteriorating civil liberties and freedoms in Hong Kong, the arbitrary detainment of the Uyghur people in East Turkistan, the escalating human rights situation in occupied Tibet, and tightening grasp on fundamental freedoms by the Chinese government — in his upcoming trip to Hong Kong and mainland China. Human rights should never be dismissed or sidelined, especially by an elected leader traveling internationally. As the first high-profile U.S. official to visit Hong Kong since the National Security Law (N.S.L.), Gov. Newsom’s poor messaging sets a problematic tone for future diplomatic engagement.
Gov. Newsom announced his plan to visit Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, and Jiangsu during the week of Oct. 22 to discuss climate policy. Notably, his administration has stated he will avoid addressing contentious topics including “human rights issues in Hong Kong and Xinjiang,” deeming these matters “federal issues” to be handled by “federal partners,” according to Politico.
We question why Gov. Newsom has decided to travel to Hong Kong and mainland China at this time. While he will ostensibly visit China for climate issues as a foreign dignitary, he is pledging not to speak on connected concerns vital to his constituency. We share his commitment to combating anti-Asian hate but fail to see how meetings with officials of an authoritarian regime abroad achieve that stated objective. He should instead listen to his constituents who face both racism here and well-documented instances of transnational repression directed by the Chinese Communist Party.
While he enjoys the freedom and safety of visiting Hong Kong and mainland China, his constituents who are in exile cannot return home without being immediately detained. Among over 100,000 residents in California born in Hong Kong, many have family members and friends threatened by the ongoing political crackdown. As governor, he has a responsibility to defend the interests of his constituents.
Additionally, Gov. Newsom’s visit undermines the federal sanctions placed on numerous Hong Kong officials. Chief Executive John Lee, sanctioned in 2020 because of his role in implementing the N.S.L., has already been barred by the Biden administration from attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco in November. We demand that Gov. Newsom does not meet with Lee or any other sanctioned officials in Hong Kong.
Leaders must recognize the interconnectedness of global issues. By detaching climate justice from other aspects of social justice and dismissing human rights issues as “federal matters,” Gov. Newsom’s trip will help justify the collective lack of progress. We urge him to seriously reconsider how to best use his platform both in California and around the world by acting on the following items:
Undersigned,
California-based Community and Advocacy Organizations (in no particular order):
Hong Kong Affairs Association of Berkeley (HKAAB), hkaaberk@gmail.com | Hong Kong Forum, Los Angeles (HKFLA) excosecretaryhkfla@gmail.com |
Northern California Hong Kong Club ncal.hkclub@gmail.com | |
Hong Kong Cultural Society | Hong Kong Affairs and Social Services Society at UC Davis, hkpass_ucd@prontonmail.com |
Students for a Free Tibet - Bay Area sftbayarea49@gmail.com | San Francisco Regional Tibetan Youth Congress (SFRTYC), sfrtyc@gmail.com |
Taiwanese American Culture Center - East Bay (TACC-EB), tacceb2017@gmail.com | |
Los Angeles Myanmar Movement (LA2M) James Shwe, jshwe@marokoshwe.com Alliance for Democracy in Myanmar | |
Thin Rati Oo, ASUC Senator* thinrati@berkeley.edu | Santa Barbara Friends of Tibet Kevin Young, sbfriendsoftibet@gmail.com |
Hong Kongers in San Francisco Bay Area | Humanitarian China hc@h-china.org |
tong_yi@tutanota.com | Tibetan Association of Southern California info@socaltibet.org |
bafot@friends-of-tibet.org |
International Non-Governmental Non-Profit Organizations (in no particular order):
Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong contact@standwithhk.org | |
Hong Kong Democracy Council | Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation frances.hui@thecfhk.org |
hrichina@hrichina.org | |
Hong Kong Professional Network chli168168@gmail.com | Campaign For Uyghurs contact@campaignforuyghurs.org |
We The Hongkongers wethehongkongers@gmail.com | Voice of CN vocn2020@gmail.com |
Uyghur American Association Social@Uyghuraa.org | Uyghur Human Rights Project info@uhrp.org |
Hong Kong District Councilor Diaspora Network, hkdcdn@proton.me | |
International Society for Human Rights manyanng889@gmail.com | |
Internationale Gesellschaft für Menschenrechte |
Global Community and Advocacy Organizations (in no particular order):
i | |
Penn State Students For Hong Kong pennstatestudents4hk@gmail.com | Hong Kong Social Action Movements in Boston hksamboston@gmail.com |
Stand with Hong Kong at Illinois uiucswhk@proton.me | |
mswhk@opirgmcmaster.org | Texans Supporting Hong Kong (TX4HK) info@tx4hk.org |
NYC 852 HKer nyc852hker@gmail.com | DC4HK - Washingtonians Supporting Hong Kong, washingtondc4hk@gmail.com |
Philly4HK philly4hk@gmail.com | Arizona for Hong Kong (Az4HK) |
MyDutyinDE@protonmail.com | Filipino American Human Rights Alliance andresbonifacio11302010@gmail.com |
Japan Hong Kong Democracy Alliance info@jhkda.org | Hong Kong Liberty silver hair hongkonglibertysh@gmail.com |
Lion Rock Cafe lionrockcafenyc@gmail.com | Hongkonger in Deutschland e.V. info@hongkonger-in-deutschland.org |
China Deviants China_Deviants@proton.me | Scottish Hongkongers scottishhongkongers@gmail.com |
The Hong Kong Scots contact@thehongkong.scot | Northern Square northernsq@gmail.com |
Stand With Hong Kong - Belgium BEHKLibrary@gmail.com | 波士顿萤火虫行动者 bostoncdhr@proton.me |
Federation for A Democratic China (Canada) rollingor@gmail.com | Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities info@gatpm.com |
Last updated : Oct 21, 2023