US condemns arrest of Hong Kong politicians
03 November, 2020
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday (Nov 2) denounced Beijing over the arrests of eight opposition politicians in Hong Kong, saying China was seeking to silence dissent.
Pompeo in a statement said that america "strongly condemns" the arrests of the politicians, five of whom are sitting lawmakers in the financial hub.
"The Hong Kong government's harassment and intimidation of pro-democracy representatives and attempts to stifle dissent are stark examples of its ongoing complicity with the authoritarian Chinese Communist Party, which seeks to dismantle the promised autonomy of Hong Kong and eviscerate respect for human rights," Pompeo said.
"We ask Beijing and the Hong Kong government to respect the right of the Hong Kong persons to air their grievances through their elected representatives."
Hong Kong authorities said they made the arrests because of protests and scuffles that broke out earlier this season inside legislature, where only half the seats are directly elected.
The United States has repeatedly criticised China because of its clampdown in Hong Kong, including a hardcore new security law.
But China has stepped up action against critics in Hong Kong, to which Beijing promised another system before Britain handed back metropolis in 1997.
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