Human Rights Watch has called on the Chinese authorities to “unconditionally release” the senior pro-democracy figure in Macau, Agnes Chow, who was arrested on July 31 on suspicion of colluding with overseas “anti-China” organizations. This marks the first time that Macau has implemented China’s draconian National Security Law, drawing international condemnation.
Maya Wang, Deputy Director of Human Rights Watch’s China division, stated that the arrest of Agnes Chow reflects the escalating repression spreading from mainland China to Hong Kong and Macau under the leadership of Xi Jinping. Wang emphasized that the Macau authorities should “cease suppressing peaceful criticism” and “immediately release” Agnes Chow unconditionally.
Agnes Chow, a 68-year-old Portuguese citizen and former directly elected legislator, was accused of colluding with overseas “anti-China” organizations, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. He is currently detained pending trial and is not eligible for bail.
Since participating in the support for the 1989 Tiananmen Square student movement, Agnes Chow has been an active pro-democracy advocate. Along with like-minded individuals, he has played a crucial role in Macau’s small civil society.
Agnes Chow is a founding member and chairman of the Macau Union of Democratic Development (MUD), formerly known as the Macau Alliance in Support of Chinese Students’ Movement, which organizes annual commemorations of the Tiananmen Square massacre. Agnes Chow and other members of the organization have faced violence and persecution from the Chinese authorities as a result of their activities.
Having been elected to local government positions five times between 2001 and 2021, Agnes Chow holds the record for the longest-serving pro-democracy legislator in Macau.
Following the revision of Macau’s National Security Law in 2023, the region’s democratic rule of law deteriorated rapidly, leading MUD to dissolve in May of the same year.
In Hong Kong, since 2020, the Chinese authorities have reportedly arrested at least 326 individuals and charged them with violations of the National Security Law.
The European Union issued a statement on August 2 condemning Agnes Chow’s arrest by the Chinese government.
Anitta Hipper, a spokesperson for the EU, expressed concerns in a statement, saying, “The erosion of political pluralism and freedom of speech in the Macau Special Administrative Region was already worrying, and this incident exacerbates those concerns.”
Human Rights Watch mentioned that Portuguese media reported statements from a diplomatic source indicating that the Portuguese government is actively monitoring the Agnes Chow case.