The Guardian-China orders foreign consulates in Hong Kong to hand over staff personal details
September 20, 2023 2 min 335 words
中国要求外国领事馆交出在香港的员工个人信息，这一新闻引发了广泛关注。这一举措凸显了中国政府在香港的进一步加强控制，对言论自由和隐私权提出了明显挑战。 这个要求要求外国领事馆提交他们在香港的本地员工的姓名、住址和职位等信息。这引发了外交界和国际社会的关切，因为这是首次要求共享这些敏感信息。中国政府在过去几年已经对香港加强了控制，尤其是在2020年实施了广泛的国家安全法之后，这一法律引发了大规模的争议和抗议活动。 这一举措引发了一些国际领事馆的担忧，他们正在评估如何应对。欧盟驻香港和澳门办事处表示他们正在密切关注此事，而其他外交机构也可能采取类似的立场。 对于言论自由和隐私权的侵犯，国际社会应该持警惕态度。这次事件突显了中国政府对香港的日益紧缩控制，引发了对人权和民主的担忧。国际社会需要密切关注并采取适当的行动，以确保香港人的基本权利得到保护。
China has given foreign consulates in Hong Kong a month to submit the names, home addresses and job descriptions of their local staff, according to diplomatic sources and documents seen by several media outlets on Tuesday.
The documents include a letter in English and Chinese bearing Monday’s date from Beijing’s Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (OCMFA), as well as two forms for consulates to fill in with their local staff details.
The letter gave consulates until 18 October to “return the completed forms to the protocol division”.
Under the city’s mini-constitution, Beijing is in charge of foreign affairs relating to Hong Kong. China has ratcheted up control of the semi-autonomous city in recent years and imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020 in the aftermath of huge pro-democracy protests.
Two diplomatic sources confirmed their consulates had received the documents and told Agence France-Presse that it was the first time local staff members’ personal details had been requested. “We are still assessing the document and will look into it,” one source said.
Hong Kong Free Press also reported on the letter, saying missions were “requested to complete the form within 15 days of commencement of the engagement” of any new staff members.
A representative for the EU office for Hong Kong and Macau said they were “looking carefully into the matter” and declined further comment.
The OCMFA and the Hong Kong government’s Protocol Division, which handles consular affairs and official visits to the city, have been contacted for comment.
The letter asks all consulates in Hong Kong to “provide information on all staff locally engaged … [including] both permanent residents … and non-permanent residents”.
One form, titled “notification of staff locally engaged”, requires consulates to provide information on staffers’ names, positions, residential addresses and identity document numbers.
The other form asks consulates to notify the authorities of any termination of employment status.