British international secretary James Cleverly raised the case of jailed Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai with a prime Chinese language official just lately to no avail after a court docket within the metropolis rejected Lai’s judicial evaluate over the hiring of a prime British lawyer, in response to a authorities report printed on Thursday.
“I raised [Lai’s] case with Chinese language Vice President Han Zheng earlier this month, and now we have raised it on the highest ranges with the Hong Kong authorities,” Secretary of State for International, Commonwealth and Improvement Affairs James Cleverly mentioned in an announcement introducing his authorities’s six-monthly evaluate of the scenario in Hong Kong, a former British colony.
Han attended the coronation of King Charles III in London on Might 6, amid rising criticism of the ruling Conservative Occasion, which seems to be backing away from guarantees of a tricky stance on China.
Cleverly did not say if a face-to-face assembly with Han had taken place, however mentioned his authorities would “work with China the place our pursuits converge whereas steadfastly defending our nationwide safety and our values.”
He accused the Chinese language and Hong Kong authorities of intentionally concentrating on “outstanding pro-democracy figures, journalists and politicians in an effort to silence and discredit them.”
He referred to as on the Chinese language Communist Occasion and the Hong Kong authorities to implement suggestions made by the United Nations Human Rights Council final July, which included repealing a nationwide safety legislation that has been used to justify a crackdown on peaceable political opposition and public dissent within the wake of the 2019 protest motion.
“The Hong Kong authorities use the Nationwide Safety Regulation and the antiquated offense of sedition to persecute those that disagree with the federal government,” Cleverly mentioned, pointing to the continued trial of 47 opposition politicians and democracy activists for “subversion” after they organized a democratic major election in the summertime of 2020, in addition to Lai’s nationwide safety trial for “collusion with a international energy.”
He mentioned Beijing “stays in a state of non-compliance” with a bilateral treaty governing the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to Chinese language rule, pointing to a “regular erosion of civil and political rights and Hong Kong’s autonomy.”
Benedict Rogers, who heads the London-based rights group Hong Kong Watch, referred to as for additional motion in opposition to “those that are actively undermining China’s obligations to the folks of Hong Kong.”
“A failure to take action will solely embolden the Chinese language authorities to deepen its human rights crackdown, placing in danger not solely Hong Kongers however U.Ok. nationals and companies working within the metropolis,” Rogers mentioned in an announcement responding to the federal government report.
Emergency visas
In April, British lawmakers referred to as on their authorities to difficulty emergency visas to journalists liable to arrest or prosecution in Hong Kong, and to use focused sanctions to people liable for Lai’s arbitrary arrest and prosecution.
The group additionally expressed considerations over final week’s ruling by Hong Kong’s Court docket of First Occasion, which rejected an attraction from Lai’s authorized crew after the town’s chief John Lee dominated that his British barrister, Tim Owen KC, could not signify him.
Coverage director Sam Goodman mentioned Hong Kong’s courts now not have sufficient judicial independence to behave as a test on the present nationwide safety crackdown, nor to make sure a good trial for political prisoners.
“There is no such thing as a such factor as a standard legislation system which operates with ‘Chinese language Communist Occasion’ traits,” Goodman mentioned, including that Hong Kong’s “frequent legislation system … has been systematically dismantled by Beijing.”
Exiled former pro-democracy lawmaker Ted Hui welcomed the criticism of Hong Kong’s human rights document.
“In the long term, it can … unite our allies in free nations, and they’re going to take a comparatively robust stance, which is able to impact their management,” Hui mentioned.
“If extra allies of free nations clearly say that Hong Kong’s human rights are regressing, and that the nationwide safety legislation is a violation of human rights, then that could be a very clear place,” he mentioned.
The Hong Kong authorities slammed the U.Ok. report as “malicious slander and a political assault on Hong Kong,” whereas Chinese language international ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning mentioned the British authorities “has but to get up from its colonial dream.”
“It continues … to intervene in Hong Kong affairs by way of a deceptive ‘report’ which is steeped in ideological bias and inconsistent with the info,” Mao advised a daily information convention in Beijing.
Lai’s son Sebastien warned earlier this month that Hong Kong is now a “dangerous” place to do enterprise, and that arbitrary arrests, sentences and raids will seemingly proceed underneath the nationwide safety crackdown.
Worldwide press freedom teams say the ruling Communist Occasion underneath supreme chief Xi Jinping has “gutted” press freedom within the previously freewheeling metropolis, since Lai’s Apple Every day and different pro-democracy information shops have been pressured to shut.
Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
