The protests for justice and democracy in Hong Kong continue. Meanwhile, politicians in the Legislative Council (LegCo) prepare for elections scheduled to be held later this year. Currently dominated by Pro-Beijing members, the LegCo’s Pro-Democracy camp aim to repeat the successes from the district council elections last fall. And as the recent Taiwanese elections showed, people in the region are increasingly voting against the CCP.
How will the relationship between Hong Kong and Beijing play out in the upcoming year? Will Hong Kong be able to keep its unique status? How can the EU be a positive force for freedom and human rights?
The Stockholm Free World Forum (Frivärld) and the Swedish Atlantic Council (Atlantkommittén) addressed these questions, and many more, together with Dennis Kwok, member of the LegCo, and Janet Pang, solicitor in Hong Kong, on Thursday January 30.
Dennis Kwok is a member of the LegCo, representing the legal profession in Hong Kong. He was elected in 2012 and then re-elected in 2016. Mr Kwok is a founding member of the Civic Party and the convenor of The Professionals Guild (an alliance formed amongst the functional constituency Members in the LegCo). Mr Kwok is currently the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee and the Panel on Administration of Justice and Legal Services in HKSAR Legislative Council. The protection of “One Country Two Systems”, the rule of law in Hong Kong, human rights, and anti-human trafficking issues are his main focus areas.
Janet Pang is a solicitor in Hong Kong, who worked as a legislative aide in the Hong Kong Legislative Council from 2015 to 2018, with focuse on political, human rights and legal affairs. She has been a core member of the Hong Kong based human rights organisation Civil Rights Observer since January 2018. She has also been involved in pro bono legal work and advocacy related to the defence of protestors during the recent social movements in Hong Kong, and preparatory work for the judicial review against the anti-mask regulation.