Anti-racism group backed by Khan investigated over China links
A LEADING anti-racism group funded by Sadiq Khan is under investigation after two of its members waved Chinese communist flags and denied the Uyghur genocide.
The inquiry into The Monitoring Group (TMG), which has received up to £55,000 a year in public funds, comes after The Sunday Telegraph exposed the pro-Beijing activities of some at the top of the charity.
Bobby Chan and Peng Hua have now resigned as trustees, which was welcomed by representatives of Hong Kong refugees in Britain as a “major relief ”.
The Mayor’s Office for Police and Crime (Mopac) was made aware of the allegations almost two years ago, but took no action. Mr Chan was filmed picketing a concert in London’s Smith Square given by Denise Ho, a pro-Hong Kong democracy singer, in 2019.
The footage showed him waving a large red CCP flag and placards depicting cockroaches, while shouting the word at concert-goers and attempting to film them while entering.
Ms Hua has published articles in which she appears to question the truth of Beijing’s repression of the Uyghur minority, as well as endorsing the Hong Kong human rights crackdown.
A leading light among UK anti-racism campaigners since the 1990s, TMG also receives funding from philanthropic bodies including the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust and Open Society, the charitable arm of George Soros. TMG receives public funds to perform case work for victims of racism through its membership of the Catch partnership, a panel of anti-hate charities, commissioned by Mopac.
The Mayor’s office said Catch was now investigating both TMG’s activities and “its senior representatives”, despite the resignations of Mr Chan and Ms Hua. Mr Khan’s support for the charity goes back to his time as a minister in Gordon Brown’s government. Suresh Grover, TMG executive director, said: “We are an anti-racist and civil rights organisation and our human rights values cannot be compromised by individual viewpoints. We have taken steps to update the Charities Commission, Companies House and our promotional material to reflect the resignations.”