[Freedom of Assembly amid growing authoritarian rule ]
1/ @Demosisto and student activist Sunny Cheung @SunnyCheungky have just submitted our comments on the UN Human Rights Committee's Draft General Comment No. 37 on the right of public assembly.
1/ @Demosisto and student activist Sunny Cheung @SunnyCheungky have just submitted our comments on the UN Human Rights Committee's Draft General Comment No. 37 on the right of public assembly.
3/ Beyond orthodox methods like demonstrations and rallies, new methods like flash mobs and occupations become ubiquitous in various movements, which needs to be protected under article 21.
4/ The rise of digital authoritarianism and disproportionate use of tear gas also make mask carrying indispensable in all protests under tyrannical rulers. #Antimaskban should not be allowed.
5/ Authorization regime, just like the letters of no-objection in #Hongkong, should be prohibited as it is often misused by the authoritarian regime to ban mass demonstrations or even arrest rally organizers. It poses a threat to ppl’s freedoms of assembly and expression.
6/ We welcome the Committee’s suggestion that the use of unnecessary or disproportionate force will breach the Covenant. However, we also emphasize that that can’t be achieved without independent monitoring mechanism.
7/ As non-democratic states often lack effective checks and balances, we hope Human Rights Committee can take into account the authoritarian context & place more protections against abuses by state & police. After all, right of assembly is the final goal we all want to protect.
