LISTEN: Benedict Rogers' Interview on LBC Radio

Benedict Rogers, Co-founder and Chair of Hong Kong Watch, was interviewed on LBC Radio on 1 July 2020 in response to the situation in Hong Kong.

Benedict Rogers welcomed the announcement of the British government that it will take actions to offer a pathway to British National Overseas (BNOs) as a response to China’s breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration with its imposition of the National Security Law.

The new law will completely decimate Hong Kong’s freedoms and way of life. Under this law, four categories of acts will be criminalised: succession, subversion, collusion with foreign entities and terrorism. While it is not disputable that countries should defend against terrorism, the problem lies in the definition of these categories by China. People who peacefully protest or criticise the Chinese Communist Party could potentially be prosecuted under this law and be subject to life imprisonment. The most bizarre section of this law is Article 38 which says that the law is applied extra-territorially to foreigners who are considered breaching this law. This is an attempt to silence all forms of dissent even beyond Chinese borders.

On the influence of Britain has on Hong Kong, Benedict said that even for young Hongkongers who were born after the handover, they feel a steep affinity to Britain because of the values that it stand for.

(Photo: Kero / United Social Press)