Chloe Cheung, the youngest Hong Kong dissident on Beijing’s “Wanted Persons” list and Manager of Public Affairs and Advocacy at the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, addressed the 18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18, 2026.
18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy, U.N. Opening, Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Key Quotes:
“Overnight, protest became a crime. Speech became a crime. Thought became a crime. I had a choice to make. Stay silent. Stay and risk going to prison. Or leave. I chose exile. At least outside of Hong Kong I would still have a voice.”
“But I am still here today, speaking up for the nearly one thousand political prisoners who remain behind bars in Hong Kong. I call for their release. For the release of every student, journalist, and normal Hong Konger who had the guts to stand against the current of history, yelling “Stop!” Because if freedom only matters when it’s convenient, then it doesn’t matter at all.”
