Carmen Lau

Background

About Carmen Lau

Carmen Lau is the Senior International Advocacy Associate at the Hong Kong Democracy Council, supporting efforts to amplify Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement on the global stage. She was elected as a district councillor during the 2019 protests and later became Secretary-General of the Civic Party before it was forcibly disbanded. Amid an intensifying crackdown, she was forced to resign her post and fled to the UK in 2021. Since then, she has been targeted by the Hong Kong government, including arrest warrants under the National Security Law and a HK$1 million bounty. Her family in Hong Kong has faced interrogation, and her UK neighbours have received anonymous bounty-related letters. From exile, Carmen continues to advocate for democracy and civil liberties. She founded Hong Kong March, an annual UK-wide cultural month, and led the Vote for Hong Kong 2024 campaign to leverage the political influence of exiled Hong Kongers. She currently serves on the Leadership Council of the World Liberty Congress. Her work has been featured by the Financial Times, Politico, BBC, CNN, the Guardian, Channel 4, NBC News, France 2, among other outlets. She has also spoken at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, Oslo Freedom Forum, Chatham House, and other events.