Beijing Has Betrayed People Of Hong Kong: Patten

Hong Kong's last colonial governor, Chris Patten, has hit out at China over the move to introduce a national security law here and urged the West to stop "kowtowing to Beijing for an illusory great pot of gold".

"The Hong Kong people have been betrayed by China," Patten was quoted as saying by The Times newspaper.

Britain has a "moral, economic and legal" duty to stand up for Hong Kong, he said.

"What we are seeing is a new Chinese dictatorship," Patten said.

"We should stop being fooled that somehow at the end of the all the kowtowing there’s this great pot of gold waiting for us. It’s always been an illusion," he said.

"We keep on kidding ourselves that unless we do everything that China wants we will somehow miss out on great trading opportunities. It’s drivel."

His comments came after Beijing said it will introduce a national security law in the city, sparking concerns that it is undermining the autonomy guaranteed under the Sino-British accord that led to the handover of Hong Kong back to China in 1997.

Beijing says the proposed law is aimed at protecting national integrity and stopping foreign interference, and will not affect the freedom of assembly, speech or the press. Chief Executive Carrie Lam also brushed aside such fears on Friday.

But critics and opposition parties dismissed such assurances and said Beijing’s move will signal "the end of Hong Kong". Beijing's proposal also ignited widespread international reaction, with Washington leading the charge. Britain, Canada and Australia have also issued a joint statement expressing concern.

Benedict Rogers, co-founder and chairman of UK-based Hong Kong Watch, echoed Patten’s views and said Britain should take the lead in coordinating a global response.

“We should impose Magnitsky-style sanctions. And we should explore the possibility of bringing a case against China to the International Court of Justice for breach of the Joint Declaration,” he wrote in The Spectator.

“For too long we have betrayed the people of Hong Kong, our promises and our values. It is time to speak up and act to deliver a clear message to Beijing of the consequences if they continue down the path they are on – before it is truly too late,” he wrote. (Reuters, RTHK)