Organizations condemning Hong Kong Police at World Police & Fire Games

Grassroots organizations are condemning the decision to allow members of the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) to compete at the World Police & Fire Games (WPFG) in Winnipeg.

On Monday, six Hong Kong Canadian advocacy groups from across the country released a joint statement expressing their concern.

"How can we allow the Hong Kong Police Force to represent themselves in Canada when they have committed clear violence against the Hong Kong people?” Henry Chan, co-director of Saskatchewan Stands With Hong Kong, told CTV News.

Chan is referring to allegations of police brutality during public protests that started in 2019.

"Amnesty International has characterized what had happened at the 2019 protests as a ‘torture, indiscriminate attacks,’” Chan said. “And those are crimes against humanity.”

A bill that would have allowed suspects to be extradited to mainland China for trial triggered the protests.

Human rights experts from the United Nations also voiced concern over reports of attacks on demonstrators during the protests, and urged restraint from Hong Kong Police Force members.

The advocacy groups - including Winnipeg Hong Kong Concern - said there are about 300 members of the Hong Kong Police Force competing at the Games. They are questioning why HKPF members are involved when first responders from some other countries were barred.

“When it comes to participating countries, we work with our federal partners and when it comes to that, they’ve identified what countries they feel is appropriate,” Mike Edwards, WPFG’s chief operating officer, told CTV News.

Edwards said Russia, Belarus and Iran are among the countries not competing at the WPFG.

“Their participation has been suspended for the Games in 2023 here in Winnipeg,” Edwards said. “Hong Kong was not on that list.”

Edwards said the World Police & Fire Games is a non-political athletic organization and it is not up to them to decide who can compete.

“We are always open to constructive dialogue, and we do respect everybody’s right to freedom of expression,” Edwards said. “But we just focus on the athletic competition.”

Chan said the Hong Kong Police Force’s inclusion transcends politics and sports.

“It is about fundamental rights and freedoms about human rights and about human dignity. And anybody who has any moral sense, or any moral standard should think that it is not okay,” Chan said.

Mark Daly, a Manitoba-born human rights lawyer, has been practicing in Hong Kong for the past 28 years. He said human rights violations remain a concern in the region, but stresses it is not the only place dealing with human rights issues.

"The Philippines has had its problems with police and extrajudicial killings of people for drug situation, so where do you draw the line?" Daly told CTV News.

Daly adds it’s important to not bury conversations about human rights.

“Nobody wants to talk about it. I think there needs to be a lot more education, and people do need to talk about it.”