International Advocacy and Program Associate

Carmen Lau is the International Advocacy and Program Associate at the Hong Kong Democracy Council, supporting HKDC in extending its advocacy efforts to the international community. Carmen is a Hong Kong activist who is currently living in exile in the UK.

After studying Government and Public Administration at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Carmen served as a legislative assistant to one of the pro-democratic legislators. During the 2019 pro-democracy movement, she was elected as a district councillor. She also served as the Deputy Secretary-General for the Civic Party, the second-largest pro-democratic party, which has since been forcibly dissolved in Hong Kong. However, in 2021, she was forced to resign by the government and later fled Hong Kong to the UK. In December 2021, along with four other activists, she was wanted for "blank votes incitement" during the Legislative Council elections.

Carmen continues her commitment to Hong Kongers and their fight for freedom since her exile. She has been a community organizer for the UK Hong Kong diaspora and dedicates herself to rebuilding Hong Kongers' civil society overseas. She co-organizes Hong Kong March, an annual UK-wide Hong Kong cultural month, and Vote for Hong Kong 2024, a campaign aiming to maximize the leverage of UK Hong Kongers. She is also currently serving on the Leadership Council of the World Liberty Congress.

Carmen has testified on Hong Kong media freedom and the crackdown on civil society before the UK Parliament APPG on Hong Kong. She has been interviewed and quoted by the Financial Times, Politico, BBC, NHK, Nikkei Asia, France 24, Swiss Public TV, among other outlets. She has also spoken at Chatham House, the Future of Democracy Forum, the Future of Free Speech Conference, and other events.