Patten, Rifkind, other politicans and Hong Kong Watch condemn mass arrests of democracy activists
Senior UK politicians have today condemned the arrest 14 high-profile democracy activists on charges of illegal assembly. The arrests took place just hours after China’s top representative office in the semi-autonomous city declared it is not bound by Hong Kong’s constitutional restrictions that bar Chinese government from interfering in local affairs.
Lord Patten, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the Chair of ASEAN Parliamentarians for human Rights, the co-chairs of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Hong Kong, Lord Alton of Liverpool, and Hong Kong Watch all issued statements.
Lord Patten of Barnes, the last British governor of Hong Kong, said:
"With the world's attention focused on the appalling covid-19 epidemic, Beijing and its subservient government in Hong Kong have taken yet another step towards burying one-country, two-systems. The arrest of some of the most distinguished leaders over decades of the campaign for democracy and the rule of law in Hong Kong is an unprecedented assault on the values which have underpinned Hong Kong's way of life for years. It is extraordinary that 14 distinguished Hong Kong citizens have been singled out by the police for taking part in demonstrations, the first of which was attended by 1.7 million of Hong Kong's citizens. This is not the rule of law. This is what authoritarian governments do. It becomes ever more clear, week by week and day by day, that Beijing is determined to throttle Hong Kong. The world should make clear how this further undermines any residual trust that we still have in the Chinese Communist dictatorship.
This assault on Hong Kong's freedoms comes hard on the heels of ludicrous attempts in the last few days by Beijing's officials to argue that the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, and the Liaison Office in Hong Kong, are not the same as the rest of the Beijing Government and can interfere in Hong Kong's affairs without breaching the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law. This is a reckless argument which shows that Xi Jinping is determined to abandon the policies pursued by his predecessors, even at the cost of destroying Hong Kong's way of life. It should be rejected immediately by all those governments and parliaments around the world who know the importance of safe-guarding the high degree of autonomy which is guaranteed by the Basic Law."
Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the former UK Foreign Secretary said:
"The arrest of Martin Lee, the grandfather of Hong Kong’s democracy, barrister Margaret Ng and other prominent mainstream pro-democracy politicians in Hong Kong today is a truly appalling attack on the very heart of Hong Kong’s freedoms, the rule of law and autonomy guaranteed to the people of Hong Kong under the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law. I know some of them personally and I know these individuals are not radicals or ‘rioters’, they are highly-respected internationally-renowned establishment politicians known for their commitment to the rule of law and basic freedoms. The international community must speak out very clearly to show Beijing that these arrests are unacceptable and will be regarded as an assault not only on Hong Kong’s freedoms but on the international rules-based order itself.”
The co-chairs of the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on Hong Kong, Baroness Nathalie Bennett and Alistair Carmichael MP, said:
“Taken together, this declaration from the office of the Bejing representative in Hong Kong that it does not have to comply with the Basic Law, and the arrest of fourteen prominent, peaceful democratic campaigners, are an iron fist being deployed by the Chinese Communist Party to attack the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong.
"If China is hoping that the world’s attention is diverted by the COVID-19 virus and that the international community will not react with outrage at this assault on the provisions of a binding
Charles Santiago, Malaysian Member of Parliament and Chairman of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights said:
"The arrests in Hong Kong today are an outrage to everyone around the world who values democracy, the rule of law and human rights. It is vital that the international community, including countries in Asia, speak up to defend Hong Kong’s freedoms and autonomy. I have had the privilege of meeting Martin Lee and I know he, and the other distinguished politicians who have been arrested, are moderate, peaceful, extremely reasonable people who simply want to see the promises made to Hong Kong honoured and to defend human rights and the rule of law.
Lord Alton of Liverpool, a patron of Hong Kong Watch, said:
“The news from Hong Kong today is shocking. I know Margaret Ng, Martin Lee, and some of the others who have been arrested and have, this morning contacted UK Government Ministers urging them to urgently remonstrate with the Chinese Government.
“These arrests are a classic example of CCP opportunism - using the opportunity of the distraction of the Covid 19 pandemic as a moment to strike. But, not for the first time, they have miscalculated.
“The CCP mask slipped when they arrested doctors trying to warn the world of the dangers of Coronavirus. That was a wake up call to the world
Lord Alton of Liverpool, a patron of Hong Kong Watch, said:
“The news from Hong Kong today is shocking. I know Margaret Ng, Martin Lee, and some of the others who have been arrested and have, this morning contacted UK Government Ministers urging them to urgently remonstrate with the Chinese Government.
“These arrests are a classic example of CCP opportunism - using the opportunity of the distraction of the Covid 19 pandemic as a moment to strike. But, not for the first time, they have miscalculated.
“The CCP mask slipped when they arrested doctors trying to warn the world of the dangers of Coronavirus. That was a wake up call to the world”
Lord Alton of Liverpool, a patron of Hong Kong Watch, said:
“The news from Hong Kong today is shocking. I know Margaret Ng, Martin Lee, and some of the others who have been arrested and have, this morning contacted UK Government Ministers urging them to urgently remonstrate with the Chinese Government.
“These arrests are a classic example of CCP opportunism - using the opportunity of the distraction of the Covid 19 pandemic as a moment to strike. But, not for the first time, they have miscalculated.
“The CCP mask slipped when they arrested doctors trying to warn the world of the dangers of Coronavirus. That was a wake up call to the world about the true nature of the CCP. Today’s shocking arrest of respected democrats will only serve to re-enforce the growing global understanding of the Beijing regime and its ideology- and that they will never live with “two systems in one country.” This deadly totalitarian virus is every bit as lethal as Covid and, in combating it, the world now needs to stand in unity with Hong Kong’s Democrats in defending liberal and democratic values.”
Separately Hong Kong Watch issued this statement:
“The politically motivated arrests of 14 of the most prominent democracy campaigners in Hong Kong last night, including Martin Lee Chu-ming, considered the ‘grandfather' of democracy in Hong Kong, and media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai, owner of the largest pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, represents a concerted effort by the Chinese Communist Party to use the world’s focus on the COVID-19 pandemic to strangle dissent in the city.
This group of prominent activists and former lawmakers were arrested under the Public Order Ordinance, legislation that gives the Hong Kong Police excessive power to proscribe protests as “unlawful assemblies” and has consistently been described by the United Nations as a clear breach of human rights. The alleged crimes, of which they stand accused, include organising a march against the Government’s extradition bill on 18th August last year which 1.7 million people attended.
These arrests come in the same week Beijing declared that its Liaison Office in Hong Kong is not bound to Article 22 of Hong Kong’s Basic Law, which ensures that no Chinese Government department can interfere in the affairs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
As the world gets to grip with the biggest crisis in a generation, Beijing looks intent on tearing up the Sino-British Joint Declaration in pursuit of absolute control in Hong Kong. World leaders must be ready to act.”