{"id":1083,"date":"2025-08-13T22:40:40","date_gmt":"2025-08-13T22:40:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dovc.co.uk\/eng\/?p=1083"},"modified":"2025-08-13T22:40:43","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T22:40:43","slug":"gofundme-bno-1st-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dovc.co.uk\/eng\/blog\/2025\/08\/13\/gofundme-bno-1st-update\/","title":{"rendered":"(Latest Update) BNO Equality Campaign \u2013 A Crowdfunded Legal Fight for Justice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>1\ufe0f<\/strong><strong>\u20e3 Why We Launched This Campaign<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The BNO Equality Campaign is a grassroots movement initiated by members of the Hong Kong community in the UK. We aim to correct long-standing injustices affecting BNO passport holders and their children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Compared to citizens of other former British colonies, Hongkongers with BNO status face unjust hurdles in citizenship pathways and legal recognition. We seek <strong>equal treatment, not privilege<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our five key demands include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Moving the citizenship test to after ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain), before naturalisation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Allowing BNO visa children born in the UK to inherit British citizenship<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Recognition of CUKC status being wrongfully revoked<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reassessment of BNO visa refusals based on political charges<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Legislating the BNO visa pathway to prevent future uncertainty<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>This campaign is not about offending China or the UK \u2014 it is about affirming the dignity and identity of Hongkongers through legal equality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2\ufe0f<\/strong><strong>\u20e3 Why Crowdfunding? Why GoFundMe?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We understand and welcome scrutiny. That\u2019s why we\u2019ve ensured full transparency in how this campaign operates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To protect your trust:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>100% of funds raised<\/strong> will be used strictly for legal costs and disbursements.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>No donations will pass through any organiser\u2019s personal account<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A UK-registered accountant has been appointed as <strong>co-organiser<\/strong> to oversee funds and audits.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>GoFundMe<\/strong> was chosen over CrowdJustice, as the latter requires pre-linking to a law firm. We needed a platform that allows flexibility while we identify the right legal team.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If we are ultimately unable to proceed, <strong>all funds will be donated to UK-based charities<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3\ufe0f<\/strong><strong>\u20e3 Our Current Progress<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>More than <strong>\u00a325,000<\/strong> has been raised with the support of <strong>more than 500 \u00a0donors<\/strong>, far beyond early expectations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>We are in active discussion with leading UK human rights barristers, including <strong>Paul Harris SC<\/strong>, former Chair of the Hong Kong Bar Association.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mr Harris has agreed in principle to support the case at a preferential rate, though he acknowledges it will be an uphill legal battle.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Preliminary materials and fundraising progress have already been submitted to prospective legal firms, and awaiting formal legal feedback.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4\ufe0f<\/strong><strong>\u20e3 Public Concerns Addressed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ve received many questions \u2014 here are our responses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Who\u2019s behind this?<\/strong><br>This campaign is initiated and led by <strong>Henry Wong<\/strong>, a qualified solicitor in <strong>Hong Kong<\/strong>, <strong>Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales<\/strong>. He has been actively involved in public legal advocacy for Hongkongers and equality issues in the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To ensure transparency and financial accountability, <strong>Ms. Yuen Ki Ho<\/strong>, a UK-registered accountant, has been appointed as the campaign\u2019s <strong>co-organiser<\/strong>. She was admitted in <strong>2014<\/strong> and her credentials can be publicly verified via the ACCA register: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accaglobal.com\/uk\/en\/member\/find-an-accountant\/directory-of-member\/results.html?isocountry=GB&amp;FirstName=Yuen+Ki&amp;Surname=Ho&amp;Location=&amp;orby=fullNameAsc&amp;ipp=5&amp;pn=1&amp;hid=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Verify here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Both organisers are licensed professionals and their identities are fully transparent and publicly verifiable. This campaign is not anonymous \u2014 it is built on accountability and professional integrity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How will funds be used?<\/strong><br>Every penny goes toward legal costs. <strong>No salaries, no reimbursements, no admin expenses.<\/strong> If unused, funds will go to charity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Why not use CrowdJustice?<\/strong><br>It requires upfront linking to a solicitor\u2019s account, which risks misunderstanding. GoFundMe allows us to wait until a firm is secured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What happens if we don\u2019t raise enough?<\/strong><br>If the legal action cannot proceed, <strong>100% of donations will be redirected to charitable organisations<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>5\ufe0f<\/strong><strong>\u20e3 Our Next Steps<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Confirm and onboard a legal team<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Draft and send pre-action legal letters<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Launch formal legal action if advised<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Recruit more affected claimants<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Maintain public updates for full transparency<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>We are now specifically calling on individuals holding CUKC (Citizens of the UK and Colonies) birth certificates issued in Hong Kong before 1968 who are willing to act as lead claimants \u2014 please contact our team. Your participation is crucial and deeply appreciated.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Every Voice Counts \u2014 Including Yours<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This campaign is about justice, not fundraising. Even a <strong>\u00a31 donation is a statement of solidarity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please <strong>share widely<\/strong>, and help us show the world that Hongkongers will not be silent about injustice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udcce <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gofundme.com\/f\/hong-kongs-fight-for-equality-and-justice\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Donate on GoFundMe<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>#BNOEquality #JusticeForBNO #WeWillNotBeSilent #HongKongDiaspora #LegalJustice<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The BNO Equality Campaign is a grassroots movement initiated by members of the Hong Kong community in the UK. We aim to correct long-standing injustices affecting BNO passport holders and their children.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":1084,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[63,62],"class_list":["post-1083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-bno","tag-uk"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/dovc.co.uk\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/gofundme_300.webp","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dovc.co.uk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1083","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dovc.co.uk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dovc.co.uk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dovc.co.uk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dovc.co.uk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1083"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dovc.co.uk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1083\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1085,"href":"https:\/\/dovc.co.uk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1083\/revisions\/1085"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dovc.co.uk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1084"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dovc.co.uk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1083"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dovc.co.uk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1083"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dovc.co.uk\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1083"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}