We are a group of Waterloo alumni residing in Hong Kong or of Hong Kong origin. We received knowledge the Hong Kong Police Force (the “HKPF”) are recruiting Waterloo students through the WaterlooWorks platform. We write to urge the University to remove these recruitment postings immediately.

During the past eleven months, the HKPF has been condemned by numerous international NGOs such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch for their mishandling of the civil unrests in Hong Kong. United Nations special rapporteurs have also raised serious concerns over the HKPF’s inappropriate use of chemical agents, arbitrary arrest or detainment of voluntary first aid workers, and ill treatment of detainees.

We believe Waterloo students recruited by the HKPF will be at a material risk of being directed or pressured to perform work in breach of the laws of Hong Kong and/or international human rights law.

The Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers in its ethical recruitment guidelines for post-secondary institutions, states that career educators have the “responsibility to address any questionable recruitment practices”. We also note from the Hire Waterloo webpage the following roles and responsibilities expected from employers: -

·      Provide appropriate compensation, working conditions, supervision, training and evaluation

·      Comply with applicable government statutes and legislations

We are concerned the relevant departments at the University do not have a process to screen potential employers at risk of violating University policies and/or relevant laws. Hence, an objective evaluation of whether the HKPF is an appropriate recruiting employer was never performed.

It is observed the HKPF’s recruitment activities at McMaster University, University of Toronto, and University of British Columbia have already generated much national attention as reported by The Globe and Mail and the CBC. Considering the political developments in Hong Kong, we believe non-action on the part of the University will bring Waterloo’s reputation into serious disrepute. We encouraged the University to follow the example set by McMaster in removing the HKPF recruitment postings after its students raised concerns.

The University must foremost protect our students from dangerous employment and uphold its commitment to justice and human rights.