Hong Kong Unison disbands after 24 years of advocating for ethnic minority groups
Executive director sacked on Friday calls move ‘irresponsible’ and shock to donors and staff
Hong Kong Unison has decided to disband after 24 years of advocating for the rights of the city’s ethnic minority groups, although the NGO’s former executive director has called the move “irresponsible” and a shock to donors and staff.
Organisation chairwoman Alice Chong Ming-lin said on Friday the decision was taken because the NGO had accomplished its mission, while stressing the dissolution was unrelated to political or financial reasons.
“When the organisation was first established, the voices and difficulties of members of ethnic minority groups were not heard, while now many organisations serve them and the government has allocated resources to them,” she said.
“We believe that the purpose of our establishment, which was to advocate for the rights of ethnic minority groups, has been largely achieved, so we decided to put forward this resolution for members’ voluntary liquidation.”
Sixteen out of 17 voting members backed the move at a meeting earlier in the day, and two liquidators had been appointed to settle the group’s debts and liabilities, she said.
Unison had about HK$4 million in funds remaining, which would be used to make employee long service and severance payments, as well as cover the group’s liabilities, she said. The rest of the funds would be donated to organisations with similar goals, she added.
