Full Remarks by Chen Yan-gen | “Taiwan and Hong Kong United Against Authoritarianism” Rally at Liberty Square

The Judicial Reform Foundation has long worked to reform Taiwan’s justice system. But we have always held one conviction: human rights know no borders. The rule of law and human dignity in Hong Kong are matters of profound concern to us in Taiwan.

On August 21 this year, a Hong Kong court convicted lawyer Chow Hang-tung and others of the grave offence of “inciting subversion of state power”—simply because they insisted on commemorating the June Fourth crackdown.

The judges went so far as to advance an absurd proposition: speech or activities amount to subversion whenever their objective effect is to foster public hostility towards the Chinese Communist Party.

Is remembering history a crime? Is seeking the truth a crime? When a regime treats truth-telling as subversion, what is truly collapsing is the judicial independence and legal professionalism that Hong Kong once took pride in—and every citizen’s freedom of expression.

Taiwan endured decades of authoritarian rule. We know deeply the price of fighting for freedom. From the martial law era to the prosecutions that followed the March 18 Sunflower Movement, generations of civil society advocates and human rights lawyers have stood shoulder to shoulder, carrying the work forward. Their solidarity has preserved the hard-won memory of Taiwan’s struggle for democracy.

Today, standing on Taiwanese soil, where we can still speak freely, we have no right to remain silent. We are here to tell Chow Hang-tung and every human rights defender still holding firm behind bars: you have not been forgotten. Taiwan will always stand with Hong Kong!

But we must also recognise this: the shadow of authoritarianism has never stopped at Hong Kong’s borders.

China’s repression has already reached Taiwan. It extends beyond cyberattacks and information operations. Working with local actors, the authoritarian government subjects Hongkongers in exile, human rights advocates, and even journalists and civil society organisations covering these issues to physical surveillance, harassment and threats.

This transnational repression is becoming increasingly covert. Its purpose is to spread fear and create a chilling effect—to make people in exile afraid to speak, even after they have reached a place where freedom is protected.

Taiwan cannot stand by as transnational repression expands. We call on the Taiwanese government to establish a dedicated mechanism to prevent and respond to it without delay. That means equipping authorities with adequate legal tools, creating channels through which victims can report threats, providing education and training, putting effective protective measures in place, and ensuring comprehensive support for people’s safety and daily lives. Together, these measures must form a safety net across Taiwan.

This year, the Judicial Reform Foundation formally launched an in-depth investigation, including field interviews with people in Taiwan who have experienced transnational repression. We aim to develop a response centred on human rights and survivors, and to counter the tactics of intimidation used by foreign regimes and their proxies. We plan to publish our report and convene a symposium before the end of this year.

Freedom must never be taken for granted. Only by looking out for one another can we hold the line for democracy. I invite everyone here to join us at our report launch later this year.

Together, let us keep the candlelight burning for Hong Kong—and safeguard freedom in Taiwan.

Thank you.