In this episode of Pod Bless Canada, MLI Senior Fellow Charles Burton was joined by Martin Lee – the founder of Hong Kong’s Democratic Party who is known as “the Father of Democracy” in Hong Kong. Burton and Lee discuss the extradition issue gripping Hong Kong in the larger context of democratic rights and freedoms in the region.
The recent sentencing of nine leaders of Hong Kong’s pro-democratic Umbrella Movement shows that Beijing’s grip is tightening over Hong Kong’s free society, including the judiciary. Furthermore, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government is trying to put in place measures that critics fear would allow for the arrest and rendition to China of anyone in Hong Kong, whether living there, working, vacationing or just passing through, including Canadians. The passing of this amendment to Hong Kong’s extradition law seriously threatens the security of Hong Kong people, and the more than 300,000 Canadians residing and doing business there.
On May 7th, 2019, the Macdonald-Laurier Institute was proud to host Mr. Lee and a delegation from Hong Kong for a talk and panel discussion on Hong Kong’s Imperilled Freedoms and their Impact on Canada. More information can be found here.
