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Luke de Pulford

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Luke de Pulford
Luke de Pulford in 2022
Born (1984-08-18) 18 August 1984 (age 40)
Canterbury, England
OccupationHuman rights activist
Political partyConservative Party
Chinese name
Chinese裴倫德
Transcriptions
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationPùih Lèuhn Dāk
JyutpingPui4 Leon4 Dak1

Luke John de Pulford (Chinese: 裴倫德, born 18 August 1984) is a human rights campaigner, particularly in the areas of modern slavery and human rights abuses in China.[1][2][3] In 2015, de Pulford co-founded Arise,[4] which he led until 2022. He is the founder and Executive Director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China,[5][6] which he co-founded with leading legislators from eight legislatures in 2020.[7][8][9] De Pulford is also co-founder of the Coalition for Genocide Response, sits as a Commissioner on the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, advises the World Uyghur Congress,[10][11][12] and is the trustee of several charities.

Activism

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Whilst de Pulford has become known for his role in the Hong Kong democracy campaign, such as confronting the pro-establishment Hong Kong politician Junius Ho,[13] his human rights campaigns have covered several areas.

Modern slavery

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In 2015, John Studzinski joined de Pulford to create Arise, an anti-slavery charity based in London and New York and working in high-risk areas of India, Albania, the Philippines and Nigeria.[14] The group works with governments, including the UK and Taiwan, along with global bodies, such as the United Nations, to confront human trafficking and modern slavery.[15][16][17] De Pulford works with politicians, frontline anti-slavery groups, Catholic sisters and community leaders to prevent slavery and ensure long term support for victims.[18][19][20][21]

In 2022, de Pulford was instrumental in the campaign to outlaw forced labour from NHS supply chains.[22][23]

Minorities in the Middle East

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In 2016, de Pulford ran a campaign which resulted in the first ever Parliamentary declaration of genocide in the UK Parliament regarding the treatment of Yazidis, Christians and other minorities, particularly in Iraq and Syria, a move which, according to The Guardian is "almost unprecedented."[24]

Human and democratic rights in China

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Luke de Pulford with Hong Kong democracy leader Nathan Law in London, July 2020

Since 2019, de Pulford has emerged as an adviser to democracy activists in Hong Kong and to British MPs who are critical of the CCP.[25] This has been noticed by Chinese leadership and, along with Mike Pompeo and Tsai Ing-Wen, de Pulford was one of seven people cited by the Hong Kong authorities as evidence democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai was colluding with foreign forces.[26][27]

As a result of his Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigning, officials in the Foreign Office have warned de Pulford (along with other campaigners, including Bill Browder[28] and other British MPs) of the risk of extradition when travelling.[29] The warning followed de Pulford's name appearing in court documents relating to the arrest of Andy Li. Since his arrest, IPAC have campaigned for Li's release, with de Pulford arguing that the arrest was part of China's attempt to make an example of activists.[30]

He formed the Coalition for Genocide response in the Houses of Parliament with Lord Alton and Gregory Stanton to maintain pressure on the Johnson government to prevent and punish mass atrocities against ethnic and religious groups.[31] The coalition served at the vehicle for the "Genocide Amendment" which he drafted with Lord Alton in 2020,[32] running the campaign to attach it to the 2020 Trade Bill in both the House of Lords and House of Commons. The reform would give UK judges the ability to rule whether there is evidence of genocide in another nation, thence negating a trade agreement.[33] This passed the House of Lords by a majority of 126 votes on 7 December 2020[34] and was narrowly defeated in the House of Commons on 19 January 2021.[35] He was made a fellow of Hong Kong Watch in February 2020.[36] De Pulford began a campaign in 2020 with Nathan Law to prosecute British officers serving with the Hong Kong Police Force found to have committed acts of torture during the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests.[37]

Launch of IPAC

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In early 2020, de Pulford established[38] the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, described variously as a "nuisance alliance" by official news organisations of China[39] and as a coalition "for fundamental liberties and the integrity of the international order."[40] The alliance is substantially transatlantic with support from conservative and progressive lawmakers concerned, not only with mistreatment of Uyghur minorities, but also with China's influence on democracies around the world.[41] By 2021 he was known to be the executive director of the organisation, which held its first global summit in Rome, followed by a 2022 meeting in Washington.[42][43][44] With that platform, de Pulford has continued to pressure institutions who appear to be in the thrall of China, including the BBC.[45]

Personal

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De Pulford currently lives in London. In 2020 he was awarded the Bene Merenti medal by Pope Francis for his contribution to the anti-slavery movement—the youngest known recipient.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ Harding, Luke (10 August 2020). "Activists launch London legal action against UK officers in Hong Kong police". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  2. ^ "Chinese Communist Party present at many global companies, group says". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  3. ^ "斥強推港版國安法踐踏人權 9議會結盟強硬抗中共 ｜ 蘋果日報". Apple Daily 蘋果日報 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  4. ^ "About us | Arise Foundation | Anti Slavery and Human Trafficking". Arise Foundation. Retrieved 2 November 2021.Arise
  5. ^ "Un groupe de parlementaires occidentaux attaque la Chine sur la stérilisation des Ouïgoures". Le Monde.fr (in French). 29 June 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  6. ^ Hua, Sha (12 June 2020). "Global Coalition of Legislators Faces Challenges Countering China". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  7. ^ Graham-Harrison, Emma (5 June 2020). "Global alliance formed to counter China threat amid rising tensions". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  8. ^ "Parliamentarians From Around the World Unite to Discuss the China Challenge". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  9. ^ Hua, Sha (12 June 2020). "Global Coalition of Legislators Faces Challenges Countering China". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  10. ^ "The UN won't halt 'genocide hallmarks' against Uighurs but we must end Catch-22". ITV News. 3 September 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  11. ^ "Human rights activist: Investigation into Uyghur atrocities 'cannot be ignored'". LBC. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  12. ^ "130 UK lawmakers seek Commonwealth solution to Hongkongers' plight". South China Morning Post. 9 September 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  13. ^ "UK rights group rep tells Junius Ho the bad news". Hong Kong Standard. 25 November 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  14. ^ "Arise Foundation". Work for Good. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  15. ^ "11th Consecutive Year as Tier 1 Country in TIP Report, the Ministry of Interior conducts workshops with industry to jointly combat forced labor". www.taipeitimes.com. 2 September 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  16. ^ "Luke de Pulford in Taiwan to discuss human trafficking". RTI Radio Taiwan International (in Chinese). Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  17. ^ "Amendment 5". TheyWorkForYou. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  18. ^ "Support the bill to help victims of modern slavery". the Guardian. 7 September 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  19. ^ "A hidden army of 'very brave' nuns fight child trafficking". NBC News. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  20. ^ "Sisters versus human traffickers". Catholic Herald. 13 December 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  21. ^ "Arise Foundation". Work for Good. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  22. ^ Roberts, Lizzie (21 April 2022). "NHS to be banned from buying supplies from China's Xinjiang region". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  23. ^ "UK looks to ban purchase of medical supplies linked to forced labour". Financial Times. 22 April 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  24. ^ "MPs unanimously declare Yazidis and Christians victims of Isis genocide". the Guardian. 20 April 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  25. ^ Timsit, Annabelle. "Luke de Pulford, the activist confronting his government on human rights". Quartz. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  26. ^ "Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai 'pushed for sanctions with tabloid and Twitter'". South China Morning Post. 12 December 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  27. ^ "Hong Kong : le magnat prodémocratie Jimmy Lai inculpé en vertu de la loi sur la sécurité nationale". France 24 (in French). 12 December 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  28. ^ "UK warns Hong Kong security law critics of extradition risk posed by China". the Guardian. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  29. ^ "Britain Warns Citizens of Hong Kong Extradition Threat". VOA. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  30. ^ Bourke, Latika (24 September 2021). "Britain warns MP, activists against travel to 50 countries over China risk". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  31. ^ "StackPath". www.indcatholicnews.com. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  32. ^ "Dopo gli Usa, anche il Regno Unito si muove a difesa degli uiguri. Ecco come". Formiche.net (in Italian). 20 January 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  33. ^ "Uighurs hail EU, UK steps toward holding China accountable". www.msn.com. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  34. ^ "UK: Lords vote to bar trade deals with genocidal countries". ABC News. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  35. ^ "UK sees off rebel MPs over 'genocide' amendment targeting China". POLITICO. 19 January 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  36. ^ "Hong Kong Watch Announces New Fellows Programme". Hong Kong Watch. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  37. ^ "British policemen could face UK courts over Hong Kong torture claims". South China Morning Post. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  38. ^ "IPAC, 5G Action Now: US, UK conservatives help lead efforts to counter Beijing". Intelligence Online. 22 July 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  39. ^ Bourke, Latika (15 December 2020). "In solidarity: Foreign ministers urged to back Australia in China spat". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  40. ^ "London Influence: China challenge — Special relationship latest — DIT 2.0". Politico. 28 January 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  41. ^ Koshino, Yuka (21 January 2021). "How Japan can help the U.K. meet its China challenge". The Japan Times. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  42. ^ Speri, Alice; Hvistendahl, Mara (21 November 2021). "Interpol's Upcoming Election Raises Fears About Authoritarian Influence". The Intercept. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  43. ^ Chase, Steven (27 October 2021). "Legislators to press G20 leaders in Rome to take tougher stance on China". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  44. ^ "Back Taiwan, global alliance says - Taipei Times". www.taipeitimes.com. 16 October 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  45. ^ "BBC still taking money from sanctioned Huawei". The Spectator Australia. 3 August 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
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