Civil Human Rights Front
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The Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF) was an organisation that focused on the issues of Hong Kong politics and livelihood, affiliated with almost all pan-democratic camps in Hong Kong. It was founded on 13 September 2002[1] and disbanded on 15 August 2021.[2]
Forty-eight NGOs and political groups were involved in the organisation in January 2006. The most well-known event held by the CHRF was the Hong Kong 1 July marches.[3]
Organisational development
Civil Human Rights Front was founded on 13 September 2002, with the aim to provide a platform consolidating voices and powers from various groups and spectrum of the societies in order to advance the development in the human and civil rights movements.[1]
The initial aim was to focus on the enactment of the legislation of Article 23 of the Basic Law.[4] After the July 1 protest in 2003, the organisation started to diversify its mandate, to include issues such as equal opportunities and authorities given to the police.[5]
Since 2017 they have been lobbying the Hong Kong government through the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process as one of the main Hong Kong UPR Coalition Steering Committee members alongside Justice Centre Hong Kong, PEN Hong Kong, and Hong Kong Watch.
Arrest of Figo Chan
In April 2020, then-vice-convener, also known as co-convener of the organisation, Figo Chan, was arrested as part of a crackdown on pro-democracy activists who organised and participated in unlawful assemblies.[6] In May 2020, he appeared before the West Kowloon magistrates' court and was granted bail. There, he said that "demonstrating is not a crime".[7]
2021 coalition exodus, national security law and allegations of foreign funding
After the charging of 47 pro-democracy activists and politicians under the national security law (including the indictment of former convener Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit), the organisation was questioned by pro-Beijing media as to whether it had a right to exist under the current security laws.[8] In March 2021, the Democratic Party and the teachers' union withdrew from the Front. Convener Figo Chan confirmed this but did not explain further. Also in the same month, a Singaporean newspaper quoted officials from the Hong Kong government saying that the Front was funded by the US agency National Endowment for Democracy, which is illegal under the national security law as "colluding with foreign forces"; both, former convener Sham and current convener Chan denied the allegations.[9] On the threat of disbandment, Chan said that "[F]or this reason, we will not and cannot disband, and I, as its convenor, am absolutely willing to live and die with the Front as long as there are still member groups that remain."[8]
2021 arrest of Jimmy Sham and conviction of Figo Chan
On 6 January 2021, Jimmy Sham was arrested along dozens others amidst a crackdown on pro-democracy figures and participants of the pro-democracy primaries. Sham was rearrested on 28 February 2021 on subversion charges and awaits trial as of late May 2021.[10] Also in late May 2021, the group's convener Figo Chan was convicted over an unlawful assembly in 2019 and handed a 18 months' imprisonment term, leading the group temporarily leaderless.[11]
Member organisations
The following civic organisations and political parties are members of CHRF.[12]
- Student Christian Movement of Hong Kong (Script error: No such module "Lang".)[13]
- Hong Kong Journalists Association (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in China (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- Civic Party (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- Power for Democracy (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- Democratic Party (Script error: No such module "Lang".)[14]
- Pioneer Group (Script error: No such module "Lang".)[15]
- Asia Monitor Resource Centre (Script error: No such module "Lang".)[16]
- League of Social Democrats (Script error: No such module "Lang".)[17]
- Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- Hong Kong Human Rights Commission (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- The Chinese University of Hong Kong Student Union (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- Justice and Peace Commission of the H.K. Catholic Diocese (Script error: No such module "Lang".)[18]
- Hong Kong Catholic Commission For Labour Affairs (Script error: No such module "Lang".)[19]
- Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- Hong Kong Democratic Development Network (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- Hong Kong Social Workers' General Union (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- Hong Kong Informal Education Research Centre (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- Hong Kong Christian Institute (Script error: No such module "Lang".)[20]
- Hong Kong Women Christian Council (Script error: No such module "Lang".)[21]
- Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union (Script error: No such module "Lang".)[22]
- Unison (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- Christians for Hong Kong Society (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- Rainbow Action (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- Sham Shui Po Community Association (Script error: No such module "Lang".)[23]
- Zi Teng (Script error: No such module "Lang".)[24]
- Neighbourhood and Worker's Service Centre (Script error: No such module "Lang".)[25]
- New World First Bus Company Staff Union (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- Association for the Advancement of Feminism (Script error: No such module "Lang".)[26]
- Kwai Chung Estate Christian Basic Community (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- People Planning In Action (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- Neo Democrats (Script error: No such module "Lang".)[27]
- Labour Party (Script error: No such module "Lang".)[28]
- Joint Office of Councillors Au Nok-hin & Lo Kin-hei (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- Template:Proper name Asia (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- Cross Border Children Concern Coalition (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- League in Defense of Hong Kong's Freedoms (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- Leung Kwok-hung Legislative Council Member's Office (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- April Fifth Action (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- Hong Kong Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood (Script error: No such module "Lang".)
- Hong Kong Women Workers' Association (Script error: No such module "Lang".)[29]
- Hong Kong Branch of the Chinese Democratic United Front (中國民主聯合陣線香港分部)
- Grassroots Cultural Center (草根文化中心)
- Hong Kong Sex Society (香港性學會)
- Hong Kong Women's League (香港女同盟會)
- University of Abode (居港權大學)
- Cen Yonggen Community Service Office (岑永根社區服務處)
References
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- ↑ Civil Human Rights Front Civil Human Rights Front Police Powers Monitoring Group’s Submission to the United Nations Human Rights Committee Template:Webarchive, 11 March 2013
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- Civil Human Rights Front
- Pro-democracy camp (Hong Kong)
- Political party alliances in Hong Kong
- 2002 establishments in Hong Kong
- 2021 disestablishments in Hong Kong
- Organizations disestablished in 2021
- Organizations established in 2002
- Human rights organisations based in Hong Kong
- Defunct organisations based in Hong Kong
- History of Hong Kong
- Politics of Hong Kong
- Protest marches in Hong Kong