Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you. The point was about providing support for people who left already or are about to leave, because more people who are human rights activists and journalists, etc., are going to leave in larger numbers. They are going to be in Canada or neighbouring countries, so we have to provide them with whatever support is available.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Very quickly, there is severe damage that happens to the diaspora, to the community and also people who have escaped Hong Kong, if they're going to stay away from being networked and being able to do what they're supposed to do just because economically, at the beginning, it seems not profitable.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  When it comes to the collaboration, etc., there will be, in the coming years, about 15, 16 or 17 elections that are very critical in the Indo-Pacific and they are making more investments with a massive budget. The estimations are that it's increasing by the billions on an annual basis, so the impact is increasing, the effort is increasing and, most importantly and sadly, it's getting more sophisticated.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  To answer the first point about authoritarian regimes likening each other and collaborating, they collaborate directly and indirectly. Unfortunately, there's a form of collaboration whereby they literally send experts from China to other countries to teach them how to manage things, how to run things.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you for the question. The main approach that has been implemented right now is what we refer to as "lawfare", meaning that the Chinese government is restricted but with limitations when it comes to Hong Kong, when it comes to oppressing journalists and civic actors, generally speaking.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Sorry, is the question for me?

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  The chilling effect is impacting everyone. Also, the tricky part about it is the fact that there are—I don't want to say rumours, but people do exaggerate what the Chinese government possesses. They do possess a lot of technologies, a lot of capabilities. Then we add more to it, and people start recirculating these misconceptions about what they're capable of doing, including the fact there is now the thinking that wherever you are, with anything that has electricity in it, there's a possibility for the government to listen to you.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you. Honourable members of the Subcommittee on International Human Rights and colleagues, good afternoon. I am here presenting this testimony on behalf of my organization, Journalists for Human Rights, based on our 20-year global record of defending human rights in the most difficult and challenging environments, working with courageous journalists and civic actors to stand against oppression, marginalization and instability and, most importantly, to hold governments to account.