Plug Hong Kong’s legal loopholes on human-trafficking and forced labour, legislator tells officials
Dennis Kwok vows to introduce a bill to the legislature if government fails to do so
A pro-democracy lawmaker in Hong Kong is stepping up his push to enact legislation against human-trafficking and forced labour in the city, vowing to introduce a bill to the legislature himself if the government refuses to act.
Dennis Kwok, who represents the legal sector in the Legislative Council, called for a united effort from legislators across the political spectrum, saying the issue would only tarnish the city’s reputation if left unresolved.
Petitioners urge legislation to outlaw human-trafficking in Hong Kong
Citing the annual Trafficking in Persons Report by the US Department of State, he pointed out loopholes whereby current laws did not effectively address problems such as forced labour and slavery.
Last year that report put Hong Kong on a “Tier 2 Watch List”, denoting a “failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat severe forms of trafficking in persons from the previous year”.
Local human rights lawyer Patricia Ho, of Daly and Associates, said a common problem was that victims were often arrested for crimes they had been coerced into committing by syndicates.
