BREAKING: Over 50 international human rights NGOs have come together to condemn transnational repression in a powerful joint statement!

On the 75th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China’s founding, activists, advocates, and researchers across the world have come together to send a clear message:

No government should be allowed to silence, intimidate, or harass activists and communities fighting for freedom and human rights abroad.

From the bastions of the international human rights world like Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, and Amnesty International, to local chapters of diaspora groups, the international community has come together to show that the CCP’s transnational repression is in the spotlight, and we will fight back against it at every turn.

While the PRC celebrates 75 years of occupation, colonization, and genocide, Students for a Free Tibet and the Hong Kong Democracy Council are proud to have organized this critical effort to bring together our allies in our global fight for human rights and justice.

Read the full statement and learn more about this collective action—and the urgent need to stop transnational repression:

We stand together with dissidents against the long arm of authoritarian governments around the world. As organizations committed to protecting civil liberties, we, the undersigned, pledge to remain vigilant through education and advocacy to combat the growing threat of transnational repression.

In recent years, authoritarian leaders around the world have intensified their efforts to silence criticism and intimidate critics abroad. These heinous actions are designed to restrict human rights such as the freedoms of speech and expression, even in countries like the United States where these rights are typically safeguarded; they undermine the rule of law globally and threaten the integrity of democratic countries. As always, human-rights defenders and members of the media face the greatest danger, with women particularly vulnerable to additional gender-based violence in the context of transnational repression.

One disturbing example occurred on the streets of San Francisco in November 2023, when Hong Kong, Tibetan, Uyghur, and mainland Chinese protesters gathered to oppose the Chinese leader Xi Jinping during the APEC Summit. As documented by a recent report jointly published by the Hong Kong Democracy Council and Students for a Free Tibet — followed by a Washington Post investigation — harassment, intimidation, surveillance, and physical violence were orchestrated by groups affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party. Even consular personnel were seen on the ground. We urge the U.S. State Department to consider elevating this as a diplomatic incident and the Justice Department to consider bringing federal charges against those who were responsible. Congress should likewise consider passing relevant new legislation to deter future episodes.

Moving forward, we will continue to collaborate with affected communities to raise public awareness of the tactics employed by governments that extend their reach abroad. We will persist in highlighting instances where authoritarian states and their non-state allies engage in these activities. We will develop and strengthen mechanisms that identify perpetrators responsible for transnational repression. Most importantly, with the urgency and gravity that this issue demands, we will make transnational repression a priority in our discussions with policymakers to encourage a strong, robust response.

We will always support individuals on the receiving end of transnational repression.

Signatories:

International Nonprofit Organizations 

Alliance of Democracies FoundationAmnesty International USAARTICLE 19Freedom HouseHuman Rights Foundation Human Rights WatchInternational Service for Human RightsInternational Tibet NetworkSafeguard DefendersWorld Liberty Congress

Advocacy and Community Organizations

Anti China Expansion Movement Arizona for Hong KongBlossom Community HK CICBonham Tree AidCanada-Hong Kong LinkChina Aid AssociationCoalition of Students Resisting the CCPCommittee for Freedom in Hong Kong FoundationDAWNDC4HKDemocracy for Hong KongEnsaafFreiheit für HongkongFriends of Falun GongFundacíon para la Libertad de Nicaragua Germany Stands with Hong KongHong Kong Affairs Association of BerkeleyHong Kong Aid 港援Hong Kong Forum, Los AngelesHong Kong Labour Rights MonitorHong Kong Outlanders in TaiwanHong Kongers in San Francisco Bay Area Hongkongers in BritainHongKongers in LeedsHong Kong WatchLady Liberty Hong KongLamp of LibertyLe Comité pour la Liberté à Hong-KongManchester Stands With Hong KongNew Yorkers Supporting Hong KongNorthern California Hong Kong Club Sam Yan PressScottish Hongkongers Southampton HongKongersStudents for a Free Tibet – IndiaTaiwan Hong Kong AssociationTaiwanese American Federation of Northern CaliforniaTibet Initiative DeutschlandToronto Association for Democracy in China US HongKongers Club 美國香港人會館Vancouver Activists of Hong Kong Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic MovementVictoria HongKongers Association (Australia)