2023 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Winner Announcement, 

Hong Kong Human Rights Lawyer ‘Chow Hang-Tung’

Has been a symbol of courage and hope for the people of Hong Kong despite the yoke of National Security Law

Special Prize,‘The Coordination Council of Iranian Teacher Trade Association’

Showing solidarity against Iranian Government’s Anti-Human Rights Education Policies

- Awards Ceremony 2023. 5. 18. (Thursday) 19:00, May 18 Democracy Square outdoor stage

  ▲ From left: Chow Hang-Tung, The Coordination Council of Iranian Teacher Trade Association

 2023 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Committee selected Chow Hang-tung, a human rights lawyer who continued the struggle for democracy in Hong Kong by hosting a candlelight vigil in memory of the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacure, as the winner of the 2023 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights, and selected the Coordination Council of Iranian Teacher Trade Association, which dedicated to the promotion of democracy and human rights in Iran through education despite environmental hardship, as the winner of the 2023 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Special Award.

 Today, May 2nd, the 2023 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Committee held a press conference to announce the winners of the 2023 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights at the May 18 Foundation May 18 Memory Storage, and announced this year’s Laureautes of Gwangju Prize for Human Rights and Special Award.

 2023 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Committee (Chairperson Moon Hee-sang, former chairman of the National Assembly) revealed the purpose behind the selection as,“Chow Hang-Tung’s efforts of resisting the government of Hong Kong’s anti-democratic and anti-human rights treatment even while in detention, and continuous tough battle against the system that oppresses the people of Hong Kong are giving courage and hope to human rights activists and citizens aspiring for a democratic society throughout the world.”

 In addition, the Committee revealed the purpose of selecting the winner of the Special Prize by stating,“We support the Coordination Council of Iranian Teacher Trade Association who have demanded changes in anti-human rights education policies and improvement of poor educational environment against the Iranian government, which controls the overall life of its people according to a conservative interpretation of Islamic law and ignores and oppresses the people’s basic human rights.” 

Meanwhile, the Committee urged the governments of Hong Kong and Iran to“lift the detention of Chow Hang-Tung and Iranian teachers and guarantee freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and association,”and appealed for support and solidarity from the international community saying,“we hope that our interest and support will act as a small help in the arduous journey for democratization of Hong Kong and Iran.”

 The May 18 Foundation will hold the 2023 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Awards Ceremony at 7:00 pm on May 18 at the May 18 Democracy Square.

 The awards ceremony of this year’s Gwangju Prize for Human Rights will be held as an outdoor event, capturing the hearts cheering for worldly citizens fighting against militarism and authoritarianism.

 The 2023 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Awards Ceremony will be held as Part 1: main ceremony (awarding event), Part 2: celebration performance (flash mob and performances of popular singers, etc.) amid the interest and participation of citizens.

 Currently, 2023 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Laurueate Chow Hang-Tung cannot directly participate in the awards ceremony due to detention, and the Special Prize Laurueate will be received by international representative of the Coordination Council of Iranian Teacher Trade Association. The awards ceremony will be broadcast live through the official YouTube channel of the May 18 Foundation.

※ Inquiries : The May 18 Foundation May 18 Glocal Center Kim Bohyeong (+82-62-360-0534)

※ Attachment 

1. 2023 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Winner Announcement

2. Introduction of 2023 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Laureate

3. Introduction of 2023 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Special Prize Laureate

Announcement of the 2023 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Winners

The 2023 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Committee selected Hong Kong’s human rights lawyer Chow Hang-Tung as the recipient of the 2023 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Main Award and the Coordination Council of Iranian Teacher Trade Association Special Award.

Chow Hang-Tung is the vice chairperson of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which has organized candlelight vigils to commemorate the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. However, she has been detained for “threatening national security” by the Hong Kong government, which demands her silence.

Since its implementation in 2020, Hong Kong’s national security law, which led to her detention, has become a tool to suppress freedom of expression, restrict peaceful assembly and association, and oppress civil society in Hong Kong.

Numerous pro-democracy activists and human rights defenders have already been detained, and more than 100 civil society organizations have been dissolved or left Hong Kong due to the law. 

The reality in Hong Kong is grim, and pessimism about its future is prevalent. However, we have not forgotten the determined fight for freedom and democracy that the people of Hong Kong have shown.

As a human rights lawyer, Chow Hang-Tung has tirelessly challenged the government’s unjust and unfair treatment of human rights defenders. Even now, as a prisoner of conscience, she continues to struggle against the system that oppresses the people of Hong Kong. 

Despite her imprisonment, she has become a symbol of courage and hope for the people of Hong Kong. 

By awarding Chow Hang-Tung the Gwangju Prize for Human rights, we hope to convey to the Hong Kong government and the people of Hong Kong the solidarity of the international community by supporting democracy and standing for human rights in Hong Kong.

In addition, the 2023 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Committee selected the Coordination Council of Iranian Teacher Trade Association, which has dedicated itself to democracy and human rights in Iran through education under difficult conditions, as a special prize winner of the 2023 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights. 

The Iranian government uses a conservative interpretation of Islamic law to control every aspect of its citizens’ lives, ignoring and suppressing their basic human rights.

The recent people’s movement in Iran, known as the Hijab Revolution, is an expression of the people’s desire to address social inequality, polarization, and instability. 

Education is the last bastion for a better future for our society. Educational inequality, poor quality education, and segregation for women under Islamic fundamentalism are pushing Iranian teachers and students to the streets. 

Hundreds of teachers have been detained for demanding changes in Iran’s education policy, and students have been arrested at rallies and violence against children has been committed.

We stand with the Coordination Council of Iranian Teacher Trade Association, struggling for democracy and human rights with its people in Iranian society.

The 2023 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Committee strongly urges the governments of Hong Kong and Iran to stop the anti-democracy and anti-human rights abuses taking place in Hong Kong and Iran immediately.

We will also strengthen cooperation and solidarity around the world to ensure that Chow Hang-Tung and other Iranian teachers are released from detention and enjoy their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association. 

The May 18 Foundation supports the people of the world who have fought against militarism and authoritarianism and will work to ensure that today’s decision is a step forward for democracy, human rights, and peace around the world. 

May 2, 2023

2023 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Committee 

(* Korean alphabetical order)

Chair: Heesang Moon (former chairperson of the National Assembly)

Juries: Jin Park (secretary general, National Human Rights Commission)

Byungro Min (director, May 18 Research Institute, Chonnam National University )

Soonseok Won (chairperson, May 18 Foundation)

Hyeran Jung (chairperson, Changwon Peace and Human Rights Center Steering Committee) 

Mimi Han (YWCA World vice president)

Taekeung Ha (member of the National Assembly, People Power Party)

2023 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Laureate, Chow Hang-Tung

Born in 1985, Hong Kong, Chow Hang-Tung is a human rights and labor activist who has constantly resisted the unjust and unfair treatment of the Government of Hong Kong.

After graduating from high school in Hong Kong in 2003 with excellent grades, she entered Cambridge Universitys undergraduate program and joined the PhD program in Geophysics. Afterwards Chow entered the Law School of the University of Hong Kong. After grauduating from law school and passing the bar exam, she became a lawyer leading the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, where she handled many cases related to suffrage, protests and other social justice issues. She also defended activists targeted by Hong Kong’s National Security Law.

Chow Hang-tung served as vice-chairman from 2016 until the alliance was forced to close in September, 2021. The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China hosted the worlds largest candlelight vigil to commemorate the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre.

In June 2021, questions were raised within the alliance whether the existing candlelight vigils should be continued. The reason was that holding a rally could be prosecuted as an act of subversion after the enactment of the Hong Kong National Security Law.

After careful consideration, Chow and her colleagues called off alliance involvement in the vigil and encouraged people to participate as individual participants.

Later, she was sentenced to 12 months in prison for participating in an unauthorized candlelight vigil in memory of the Tiananmen Square Massacre on June 4th 2020, and on June 4th 2021, was sentenced again to 15 months in prison for a second conviction for inciting the public by posting memorial messages of the Tiananmen Square Massacre in social media.

Currently, Chow Hang-Tung is serving a total of 22 months in prison for her peaceful actions in memory of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, and on September 9th 2021, under Hong Kongs National Security Law, she has been charged with“inciting subversion of system”and faces an additional 10 years sentence in prison.

2023 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Special Prize Laureate, 

The Coordination Council of Iranian Teacher Trade Association

The Coordination Council of Iranian Teacher Trade Association (hereinafter referred to as CCITTA) was established in 2002 when 25 teachers organizations across Iran were integrated for the first time.

CCITTA has called for international solidarity to condemn Irans government policies that oppress teachers and trade union activists. More than 200 teachers have been arrested since Labor Day in May 2022, and some are still in custody and are being questioned while most have been freed on bail.

CCITTA continues to defend the rights of students to free access to quality public education, while fighting the privatization of education in Iran. They are also fighting against the continued repression of trade unions and activists in Iran by demanding the removal of Iranian government representatives from the International Labour Organization (ILO) board and not supporting their re-election.

They are committed to promoting the voice of Iranian teachers internationally and rallying the support of colleauges and trade unions around the world to defend the right of students to free and publicly funded education.

Despite that approximately 2,000 girls were poisoned with toxic gas from November 2022, the Iranian government announced that this incident was not considered an urgent issue.

In response, CCITTA organized a nationwide demonstration against the gassing in girls schools on March 7th which was forcibly suppressed by security forces and resulted in the arrests many teachers who participated in the protests. 

Despite the numerous hardships faced by CCITTA, they are fighting discrimination and inequality in order to ensure minimum human rights through an improved education system.

[ Korean Press Release ]