Data Base

Protest against Human Rights Abuse Committed by the Police and the Yau Tsim Mong District Council! (2009.11.30)

It was reported in the press on 27 Nov 2009 that district councilors and the media, facilitated by the Yau Tsim Mong District Council, were allowed to follow the police to the workplaces of sex workers, and to take videos and photos of those women who were suspected to have breached their conditions of stay. We consider this to be a severe humiliation against those arrested and a violation of their rights! 

The police were already heavily criticised in June 2005 for detaining 40 mainland women suspected of “prostitution" in a crowded (14 square metre) "cage" exposed to outdoor heat and without any basic facilities. They have once again attempted to show the public their “accomplishments” by violating the privacy of those arrested and exploiting their dignity and basic human rights. Such abuse compares to the excessive force used by the Bureau of Public Security in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, who are believed to have allowed video and picture taking of sex workers during the large-scale raid carried out on 28 Oct 2009. Several of these photos and a video clip were published widely online and caused a major stir in China. 

Such human rights abuse committed by the police and the Yau Tsim Mong District Council is outrageous! We are extremely worried about the deteriorating human rights condition of Hong Kong.  

We demand the Police and the Yau Tsim Mong District Council to: 

1) immediately apologise to those affected and give the public an explanation, 

2) promise that such human rights abuse will never be tolerated in the future, and 

3) launch an investigation into the case, announce the result to the public and take disciplinary action in case abuse of power was present. 

Action for REACH OUT (AFRO) will: 

1) launch a petition among sex workers and the public to demand the Police and the Yau Tsim Mong District Council to apologise to the affected and give the public an explanation, 

2) Gather signatures for the campaign at the International Human Rights Day Carnival (2009), which will be held on 6 Dec 2009 at the Pedestrian’s Zone in Causeway Bay. 

3) Organise a rally on 12 Dec 2009 (the weekend before the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers) in Yau Tsim Mong district, to protest against the exploitation of dignity, privacy and human rights of sex workers and to arouse public concern on the human rights condition of sex workers. (Details to be announced.) 

Action for REACH OUT 

30 November 2009