Michael Liu
Executive Director, Chinese Initiative on International Law
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“I work at the crossroads of different networks and communities, and I facilitate collaborations between people working on big picture questions and those focused on small, practical steps. I don’t dare to claim that I can work ‘on behalf of’ others.”
Michael Liu is a Netherlands-based lawyer and civil society activist. Born in China, he is the founder and executive director of the Chinese Initiative on International Law (CIIL), a nonprofit that works on rule-of-law training, refugee relief, and LGBTQ+ rights advocacy within and beyond China.
Before founding the CIIL in 2012, Michael was a victims’ counsel at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia Khmer Rouge Tribunal, and he worked at the International Criminal Court, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and in private practice. Since Michael relocated to the Netherlands, he has concentrated on protecting and expanding civil society, expanding access to resources for underserved communities, and advocating for LGBTQ+ rights; he and a team of organizers in different countries have also created a summer camp for advocates to strengthen their support network and build organizing skills.
Michael believes that making the world a more free, equal, and greener place for everyone requires a global network that guarantees the freedom and potential of all people fighting for their rights. By supporting and training future generations of advocates—especially LGBTQ+ people—we can take the necessary steps to create that network.