[City-wide testing by three #China-based laboratories, with one allegedly involved in DNA collections of #Uyghurs]
1/ #Hkgov has just announced a city-wide #Covid19 testing. Without proper tendering procedures, #Carrielam directly granted 150,000,000 HKD for the project.
2/ They project of Hong Kong government invited three mainland-based laboratories: Sunrise Diagnostic Centre, China Dragon Inspection and Certification and Prenetics.
3/ One of the laboratories, Sunrise Diagnostic Centre, is owned by BGI that is subject to #US’s sanction for involving in human rights crackdown in #Xinjiang and collecting DNA data from #Uyghurs.
4/ China Dragon Inspection is state-run company, directly owned by China’s State‑owned Assets Supervision and Administration Communion. Local media @mingpaocom unveils that the company does not even have the certificate for laboratory testing.
5/ Worse still, just like #Huawei and #Tikkok, these three-China based companies are subject to China’s National Intelligence Law in 2017 that requires "any organization or citize n shall support, assist, and cooperate with state intelligence work according to law” (Art 7).
6/ It’s doubtful whether those Chinese labs can refuse to hand over their DNA data if #Beijing insists on taking the data. Not to mention that #China has already stationed its #secretpolice agency in #HongKong under #nationalsecuritylaw.
7/ Technically instead of sending to China, DNA data could be directly handed over to the city’s newly established #nationalsecurity agency. Also, there is a loophole in #Hongkong’s law on personal data, which fails to bar data transfer to #China.
8/ When #hkgov stresses that the handling of DNA data would comply with the law, the reality turns out - it is still legal if they send the data to #Beijing. After all, given the blackbox procurement and legal loopholes, #Beijing’s real agenda is building a DNA database in #HK.
9/ It could be used in future crackdowns on the city’s dissidents and #Hongkongprotesters. Social Credit System and surveillance regime will be its next step. facebook.com/20097647999486…
10/ Hong Kong should not be the next Xin Jiang or Tibet. Please support our fight: patreon.com/joshuawong
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