Open Letter

Dear Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs,

We, community organizations of the HongKonger diaspora in Australia, acknowledge the historical significance of your upcoming visit to the People's Republic of China (PRC) on November 4th. As you endeavor to rebuild diplomatic and economic ties with the PRC, we sincerely urge you to not lose sight of pressing human rights issues.

Since the crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong in 2019, the implementation of the National Security Law by the Chinese government has led to the arrest of a large number of pro-democracy activists and ordinary citizens, including legislators, lawyers, journalists, and media company owners and many others. These individuals face serious charges under the National Security Law.

It is especially noteworthy that among those arrested is an Australian citizen, Mr. Gordon Ng （吳政亨）. He is accused of organizing Hong Kong's 2020 Legislative Council primaries, a charge under the National Security Law. Mr. Ng has consistently maintained his innocence and is actively preparing his defense in hopes of a fair trial. The Government of Hong Kong has been denying Mr. Ng any consular assistance.

Mr. Ng was educated in Australia and became an Australian citizen after graduating from university. He has been working in the finance sector in Hong Kong and has been a law-abiding citizen both in Australia and Hong Kong.

We strongly urge you, Prime Minister, to raise concerns about Mr. Gordon Ng during your meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. We request that you demand consular access, humane treatment, and a fair trial for him.

Furthermore, from 2019 to October 2023, more than 1,600 individuals have been detained in Hong Kong, considered to be political prisoners, and political prosecutions continue. Additionally, eight overseas individuals are wanted on red notices, and their families residing in Hong Kong have faced harassment and intimidation by national security police, aiming to silence both Hong Kongers and those who have relocated overseas.

Hong Kong's democratic system has significantly deteriorated since the implementation of the National Security Law, limiting candidacy to only those approved by the government. This not only affects the political climate in Hong Kong but also undermines its role as an international financial center and destroys market transparency. Moreover, individuals holding British National (Overseas) passports also face difficulties in withdrawing their pension funds due to the deteriorating political atmosphere.

Respected Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, as you negotiate a new diplomatic relationship with the PRC, we kindly urge you to prioritize human rights issues on your agenda and demonstrate that Australia is engaging PRC on our own terms.

This is not just a matter of fundamental human rights for Australian citizen Mr. Gordon Ng and other detained individuals, but also an essential step in defending the principles of global freedom, justice, and democracy.

Sincerely,

Australia Hong Kong Link

Co-signatories,

Ted Hui

Kevin Yam

Victoria Hongkongers Association( Australia)Inc.

Hong Kong International Alliance Brisbane

Australia Capital Hong Kong Association

Association of Hong Kongers in Western Australia

Hong Kong Revolution Power, Goldcoast

Aus-Hong Kong Connex

Western Australian Association for Pan-Asian Democracy

Andrew Ca

致澳洲總理阿爾巴尼斯及外交部長黃英賢公開信

（中文版本- 請以英文內容為準）

我們是澳洲香港人社區的代表，深感您即將於11月4日訪問中國是重要的歷史時刻。在您努力重建與中國的外交和經濟關係時，我們謹在此懇請您別忘了為人權問題發聲。

自2019年香港大規模抗議活動後，中國政府在香港實施國安法，導致大量民主派人士被捕。他們包括立法會議員、律師、記者和傳媒公司老闆，他們現正面對嚴重的國安法罪名。特別值得一提的是，在這些被捕人士中，有一位澳洲公民吳政亨先生。他被指參與組織2020年香港立法會民間初選而遭控違反國安法。吳先生至今仍認為他沒有犯罪，並積極為控罪答辯，期望有一個公平審訊結果。

吳政亨先生在澳洲受教育，大學畢業後取得澳洲公民身份後，在香港從事金融專業工作，奉公守法，無論在澳洲及香港，他也是一個良好的公民。

我們強烈要求總理閣下在會見中國國家主席習近平時，提出對吳政亨先生的關注，並要求給予他領事探訪權、人道對待和公平審訊。

自2019年至2023年10月，香港已有超過1600名被視為政治犯的人被拘留，且政治檢控仍在持續。同時有8名海外人士被懸紅通緝，其在香港的家人也遇到國安警察的騷擾、恐嚇，試圖令香港及已移居海外的人士噤聲。

香港的民主制度自國安法實施後嚴重倒退，只有政府認可的人士才有參選資格。這不僅影響了香港的政治氛圍，還破壞了香港作為國際金融中心的地位，並摧毀了市場透明度。此外，持有英國國民（海外）護照（BNO）的移民人士亦因政治氛圍惡化而面臨強積金取款困難。

尊敬的總理和外交部長，我們懇請您在與中國建立新的外交關係時，將人權問題放在議程的前列。這不僅是對澳洲公民吳政亨和其他被拘留人士的基本人權負責，也是對捍衛全球自由、公義和民主原則的重要一步。

此致