The Law Society of South Australia issued a statement on Tuesday (June 3) expressing concern and condemnation over the intimidation and threats from abroad that former Hong Kong pro-democracy legislator Alvin Yeung, who was practicing locally, had recently received. This is the first time that the Australian legal community has made a clear statement on the issue of cross-border repression.
In a statement, the South Australian Law Society strongly condemned two acts of intimidation against Alvin Yeung: a letter sent from Hong Kong to his local law firm offering a HK$1 million reward for information leading to his return to Hong Kong or the Australian Federal Police, and the production and distribution of false personal leaflets claiming Alvin Yeung is "pro-Jewish" at local mosques. The statement also noted that Alvin Yeung has become one of the pro-democracy figures targeted by the Hong Kong government following the implementation of the National Security Law in 2020, and the society firmly supports his right to express his political beliefs without fear of persecution.
Alvin Yeung told this station that the Australian legal community had previously only issued statements regarding the impact of the Hong Kong National Security Law on judicial independence. This is the first time they have spoken out regarding individuals facing cross-border repression from China and Hong Kong. He expressed gratitude for the support and attention of the local legal community, believing that this action demonstrates that the issue of cross-border repression of Hong Kong and Macau residents has transcended diplomatic discussions. The local legal community's concrete actions against cross-border repression and interference demonstrate that local society has deeply felt the existence and severity of the problem. He stated that the Hong Kong government needs to recruit judges from overseas to fill the non-permanent judge vacancies left vacant by the implementation of the National Security Law for the Court of Final Appeal, and believes that this incident will also affect the willingness of local judges to work in Hong Kong.
