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Article

9 Jan 2019

Author:
Beh Lih Yi, Thomson Reuters Foundation

Hong Kong: Lawmakers push for anti-slavery law

"Hong Kong lawmaker vows fresh push for UK-style anti-slavery law", 9 January 2019

A Hong Kong lawmaker vowed on Wednesday to launch a renewed push for an anti-slavery law, warning that there was “no room” for delay as thousands of victims are trapped in the city.

There is little support within the Hong Kong government for a new slavery law but lawmaker Dennis Kwok said he had been lobbying international groups, including the United Nations, to put pressure on city officials.

Kwok, who has spearheaded a campaign for a new law since 2017, said he and another lawmaker would table a private member’s bill modeled on Britain’s Modern Slavery Act to the city’s legislature by the middle of this year...

Recommendations in Kwok’s bill include life sentences for traffickers, compelling firms to report whether their supply chains are free from slavery, and giving law enforcement officers wider investigation power...