This document presents an historical and political overview of Hong Kong’s transition to the sovreignty of the People’s Republic of China on 1 July 1997. It sets out Amnesty International’s concerns related to the transition and the organization’s recommendations to the Hong Kong Special Adminstrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the Chinese Government aimed at safeguarding human rights. These include the establishment of an independent human rights commission, the review of safeguards for judicial independence, the maintenance of the Bill of Rights, the development of international reporting procedures, the maintenance of safeguards for freedom of association, peaceful assembly and other rights, the accountability of all security forces, the protection of rights during a state of emergency, and to ensure that the death penalty is not restored.
