Britain Warns Of Increasing Beijing Pressure On HK

Britain on Thursday warned of "increasing pressure" on Hong Kong from an assertive Beijing after a raft of jailings of democracy activists and the disqualification of rebel lawmakers from the city's legislature.

Britain's Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, said the denial of entry to Hong Kong in October of British human rights activist Benedict Rogers had fuelled the UK's concern.

"Beijing's involvement in this case has strengthened our view that Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy is under increasing pressure," Johnson said in the UK's regular six-monthly report on the city.

He also emphasised the importance of a free and fair judiciary after the jailings of leading pro-democracy activists on protest-related charges and the ousting from the legislature of four rebel lawmakers after an intervention from Beijing.

Johnson said that while the judiciary "remains in high esteem" it was vital the government was "seen to use the system fairly in all cases".

Hong Kong has come under increased pressure from Beijing since mass pro-democracy rallies in 2014 brought parts of the city to a standstill.

The rallies failed to win political reform and since then activists have emerged calling for self-determination or full independence from China, infuriating Beijing.

Johnson reiterated Britain's opposition to the notion of independence for Hong Kong, saying it was not a "viable option" within the semi-autonomous deal enshrined in the handover agreement.

However, he urged the Hong Kong and mainland authorities to respect the Basic Law.

Plans to bring part of a new Hong Kong railway station under mainland law have been called unconstitutional by critics, who say authorities are bypassing the proper legal procedures to push through Beijing-backed initiatives.

"I believe it is vital that Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy is and is seen to be respected in full, allowing the people of Hong Kong and its authorities to tackle important issues for themselves," Johnson added.

In response, a spokesman for the Hong Kong government said foreign governments should not interfere in any form in the city's internal affairs.

"Since the return to the Motherland, the HKSAR has been exercising a high degree of autonomy and 'Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong' in strict accordance with the Basic Law. This demonstrates the full and successful implementation of the 'one country, two systems' principle, which has been widely recognised by the international community, the spokesman added. (AFP & Information Services Department)

Last updated: 2018-3-15 22:19