On December 3, more than 40 organizations of Hong Kong people and different ethnic groups in the UK issued a joint statement expressing serious concern for the personal safety of Hong Kong people and other ethnic minorities in the UK.
The fallout from last weekend’s attack on Hong Kong people in London’s Chinatown is still fresh. A number of Chinese groups have offered online rewards for hit men to attack anti-communist Hong Kong people and search for the London addresses of former Hong Kong MP Law Kwun Chung and one of the founders of the Hong Kong Overseas Chinese Association in the United Kingdom, Cheng Man-kit, raising concerns about the safety of Hong Kong people in the UK.
Joint letter: intimidation threatens the safety of Hong Kong people and supporters
The joint letter points out that several Hong Kong people have been threatened by intimidation tactics at a meeting organized by the “UK Monitoring Group”, “London Civil Rights Law Centre” and “United Fujian Overseas Chinese Association” on November 27. During the “Stop Racism, Reject the New Cold War” rally, they protested against the hypocritical and misleading stance of the rally in a peaceful manner, and were violently attacked by the participants.
In addition, a reward message showed that anyone who could provide the UK addresses of Hong Kong social activists Zheng Wenjie and Luo Guancong would receive a £10,000 bonus. There were even other WeChat messages indicating that teams were being organized with the intention of attacking any Hong Kong people’s organizations that support Hong Kong’s independence.
The joint letter criticizes these intimidation tactics not only threaten the personal safety of Hong Kong people and their supporters, but also seriously violate the basic freedom of speech of Hong Kong people. Since the Hong Kong National Security Act came into effect, many Hong Kong people have moved to the UK to seek asylum and should feel safe and protected as they embark on their new lives there.
The campaign calls on the British public to support the people of Hong Kong and East and Southeast Asia, and calls on allies to join forces to confront all forms of racist and authoritarian state violence wherever it occurs.
The organizations involved in the campaign include nearly 30 organizations of Hong Kong people in the UK, including the Hong Kongers in Britain (HKB), the Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong/SWHK, Britons in Hong Kong (BHK), Justitia Hong Kong (JHK), the newly formed Hong Kong Association (HKA), and the Hong Kong Association (HKA). Hong Kong Umbrella Community (HKUC), British Good Neighbor Church (BHK), Hong Kong Link-Up (Hong Kong Link-Up, and several organizations of Hong Kong people in various cities in the UK.
In addition, Free Tibet, World Uyghur Congress (WUC), Atlas Movement”, “Labour Movement Solidarity with Hong Kong- UK”, Hackney Chinese Community Services) and more than ten other Tibetan, Uighur and local organizations.
The drafters of the joint letter, Zheng Wenjie, have reported to the police on the intimidation
The statement is “shocking”, said Cheng Wenjie, who signed the joint letter to the Epoch Times. This is the largest joint action of Hong Kong people in the UK since the outbreak of the anti-Send China movement in 2019, which is believed to show the outside world the unity of Hong Kong people in the UK, “the Chinese Communist Party’s approach will only unite Hong Kong people more.”
Cheng also said that after the joint signatures were sent out, it drew the attention of the local media to the Chinatown incident and the intimidation of Hong Kong people. The Chinese Communist Party has been confusing the locals, and pro-China groups have been using their legal teams to pressure the local media on the issue of ethnic conflicts, so there has been little coverage of the incident until the joint petition was made public.
He believes that local media coverage will make more locals aware of its true nature, and that “any more major outreach at the moment will not help.”
Zheng foresees that the conflict between pro-Communist groups and Hong Kong people in Britain will intensify in the future, and hopes that the incident will bring the attention of all sectors in Britain to the existence of such a rampant group in the region.
Regarding the fact that some pro-communists have put a bounty on his address on WeChat, Zheng Wenjie said that he is an open protestor. Although the threat has been there, but will not be afraid, what can be done at the moment is to be vigilant.
He has called the police to deal with the incident, and London police also sent someone to his home this weekend to understand the situation and protect his safety. He said, “I am speaking out for justice, it should be them who should be afraid.”
BHK: Chinese Communist Party touches bottom line of Asians in Britain
Windanz, a member of BHK, an organization of Hong Kong people in the UK who participated in the coalition, said in an interview with Epoch Times that the group included different Hong Kong people, Tibetans, Uighurs and even local organizations.
Windanz said that even though the various spectrum lines are not identical, they all hold the same opinion on the attack on Hong Kong people, “Each organization has its own philosophy and goals, and resisting the Communist Party is the factor that unites us.”
Weintanz believes that the CCP’s actions have touched the bottom line of Asians in Britain and that they must speak out together, “The last rally they tried to ‘put all Asians on stage’ and see the criticism of the CCP’s authoritarian regime as a prejudice against people of Chinese descent, fabricating the root cause of discrimination against Asians and trying to confuse the British local public. This is absolutely unacceptable for many people.”
London to host rally: unite against Communist China
On December 6 and December 10, two rallies related to Hong Kong people will be held in London.
Poster of Hong Kong people supporting the amendment to the Nationality and Borders Bill on Dec. 6, 2021. (Facebook photo)
Asked if he would be worried about the CCP using and inciting local pro-communist groups to carry out violent attacks again, Wintanz admitted that it was inevitable, but there was no way back. The situation in Hong Kong has run out of options and there is no way to bow to violence in the UK.
He appealed to the Hong Kong people in attendance, “Don’t be early, don’t be late, get on and get off in unison.” The organizers are communicating with the London Metropolitan Police Service to request that officers be stationed at the site to take precautions to prevent disruptions to the rally.
As far as he knows, there will be police officers present to maintain order, and this time the security is safer and more credible.
The first rally, to be held on December 6, will support the amendment to the Nationality and Borders Bill. Young Hong Kong people will be eligible to apply for a BNO visa if only one of their parents holds a BNO.
There will be speeches by legislators who support the motion. The venue for the rally was originally scheduled to be the square opposite the House of Lords, but the organizers have since changed the venue to the open space opposite 10 Downing Street, which is often used as a demonstration and rally venue.
The proposed amendment will enter the report stage in the House of Commons at the end of this month, when MPs will be able to speak on the proposal or propose further amendments. If passed, it would mean that the BNO visa program would be extended to those born after 1997.
The second rally was held on December 10, which was also International Human Rights Day. On that day, the World Uyghur Congress will join a number of Hong Kong and Tibetan groups and organizations in the UK to launch a march called “Unite Against Communist China London March. The march will gather at Piccadilly Circus, not far from Chinatown where the attack took place.
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