26-5-2023 (HONG KONG) Hong Kong authorities expressed their condemnation of the British government’s demand to repeal a national security law imposed by China, which Britain claimed had been utilized to oppress, silence, and discredit pro-democracy opposition figures.
In the latest semi-annual report on Hong Kong, Britain’s Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, highlighted how Hong Kong authorities had employed the security law to suppress opposition figures during a UN hearing in February. Many of these individuals are now either imprisoned or living in exile.
Cleverly urged Beijing to implement the recommendations outlined in an independent report by the UN Human Rights Council from July last year, which included the “removal of the National Security Law” imposed by Beijing on the former British colony in 2020.
In response, Hong Kong authorities released a statement vehemently refuting, strongly disapproving, and firmly rejecting the accusations and politically motivated attacks made by Britain. A government spokesperson from Hong Kong urged Britain to cease interfering in matters that are solely China’s internal affairs.
The spokesperson emphasized that Hong Kong’s security law had restored stability following the mass pro-democracy protests in 2019. While certain individual rights are protected by Hong Kong laws, the spokesperson stressed that such rights and freedoms are not absolute when it comes to safeguarding national security.
Britain’s report referred to the erosion of the rule of law in Hong Kong, highlighting the transfer of powers previously held by the judiciary to Hong Kong’s pro-China leader, as well as the inability of those facing national security charges to challenge government decisions in court.
Cleverly stated in the report’s foreword, “We have stood with our partners in condemning the steady erosion of civil and political rights and Hong Kong’s autonomy.”
