US, Britain express China breached Hong Kong package following disqualification of lawmakers
19 November, 2020
The United States, Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand on Wednesday (Nov 19) jointly accused China of violating its commitments following a disqualification of pro-democracy lawmakers from Hong Kong's legislature.
The international ministers from the Five Eyes intelligence sharing group said that China was going against its 1984 promise to Britain that it could preserve autonomy in the personal hub following the then colony's handover in 1997.
"China's action is a clear breach of its overseas obligations under the legally binding, UN-registered Sino-British Joint Declaration," the nations said in a joint declaration, reiterating individual remarks.
The overseas ministers said that the most recent move appeared to be part of a "concerted campaign to silence all significant voices" in the fiscal hub.
"With regard to Hong Kong's stableness and prosperity, it is necessary that China and the Hong Kong authorities value the channels for the people of Hong Kong expressing their legitimate problems and opinions," they said.
Hong Kong's pro-Beijing authorities the other day disqualified four lawmakers in the legislature, only fifty percent of whose seats are directly elected, prompting the mass resignation of their colleagues in solidarity.
China earlier this year imposed a hardcore security law targeted at curbing dissent found in Hong Kong, which this past year saw massive and sometimes destructive pro-democracy protests.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com