In a recent condemnation, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has vocalized concerns over China’s intensifying control over Hong Kong, particularly highlighting the restrictive impact of the National Security Law imposed on June 30, 2020. The rights organization argues that the Chinese government’s actions have significantly undermined political and civil freedoms in the region. HRW’s critique is based on the assertion that Hong Kong’s vibrant civil society has been replaced by a regime of enforced uniformity.
Maya Wang, the Associate China Director at HRW, criticized the suppression of dissent, stressing the demise of expressive freedoms and democratic engagement. She urged global governments to intervene diplomatically to deter China from further tightening its grasp over Hong Kong. The Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has been central to these critiques, having been a focal point of international censure since its inception.
Both the UK government and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, have expressed unease over the sweeping nature of the law. Similar concerns were echoed by Amnesty International in a 2025 report, which pointed out high conviction rates for ostensibly lawful expressions, revealing that a significant majority of concluded cases involved legitimate expressions wrongfully criminalized under the guise of national security.
Notably, in 2025, legislation was passed forbidding individuals convicted of national security offenses from forming unions, further curtailing civic participation. At the end of 2024, legal actions saw police issuing bounties for pro-democracy activists, while opposition voices were convicted on what critics claim were inflated charges of sedition.
The rights enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), including free expression and the right to a fair trial, are argued by rights groups to be compromised in Hong Kong. Although these rights can be lawfully curtailed under certain circumstances, the prevailing use of the National Security Law purportedly deviates from established international human rights standards, raising profound concerns about the trajectory of human rights in Hong Kong.