The ICJ and JUSTICE, its Hong Kong Section, are concerned over the methods used by immigration and police officers to effect removal from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of right of abode claimants.
Article 29 of the Basic Law provides “The homes and other premises of Hong Kong residents shall be inviolable. Arbitrary or unlawful search of or intrusion into, a resident’s home or other premises shall be prohibited.” This is consistent with Article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which requires respect for family life and the home.
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region remains bound by this international obligation by virtue of the annex to the 1997 Joint Declaration of the United Kingdom and the People’s Republic of China, which stipulates inter alia that “the provisions of the ICCPR as applied to Hong Kong remain in force”.
Reliance on statutory powers of forcible entry in violation of the sanctity of the home is a totally disproportionate use of force in the circumstances.
The ICJ and JUSTICE urge the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to cease the use of force immediately.
Note: For further information please contact Gladys Li, Chairperson, JUSTICE, the Hong Kong Section of the ICJ on +852 25217188.
