Denise Ho Urges UN Rights Body To Suspend China

Hong Kong singer Denise Ho has taken a message of defiance against Beijing to the United Nations' top human rights body, denouncing "deceitful promises" by authorities and prompting a Chinese diplomat to interrupt her twice.

The Cantopop singer used her star power to stand up to China's economic and political power at the UN Human Rights Council, saying human rights were under attack in Hong Kong and asking whether it would suspend China as a member of the 47-nation body for its abuses.

Beijing shot back and interrupted Ho twice during her allotted 90-second slot. The chair, Iceland's ambassador in Geneva Harald Aspelund, gave some gentle reminders, but let her keep talking.

Ho's comments were some of the sharpest and most varied criticism of Beijing that the council has heard since the United States pulled out last year. The US had been seen as one of the countries least hesitant to stand up to its rising rival at the Geneva-based council.

Ho ripped into the bill that would allow Hong Kong residents to be extradited to the mainland for trial, saying such a move would "remove the firewall protecting Hong Kong from interference of the Chinese government" – an allusion to the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

Chinese diplomat Dai Demao quickly upbraided her, saying she had wrongly referred to Hong Kong "side-by-side" with China. He said that was an affront to the widely recognised "One China" policy.

Ho then denounced the disqualifications of lawmakers, the jailing of activists, and the "cross-border kidnappings" of booksellers in Hong Kong as signs of "China's tightening grip." She said Hong Kong autonomy had slowly eroded since the handover. She accused China of "preventing our democracy at all costs" such as by appointing as Hong Kong CEO Carrie Lam, who the protesters want to see ousted.

Dai burst in again to reject "unfounded allegations" and appealed to the chair that she refrain from using "abusive language".

Unbowed, Ho raised the tone again, asking the council whether it would suspend China and convene an urgent session to protect people in Hong Kong amid rising protests.

In an interview before the session, Ho said the implications of Beijing's alleged rights abuses went far beyond Hong Kong, in places like Tibet and Xinjiang.

"This is a very serious issue and a global issue, that not only touches Hong Kong people, but really the global world – where you see governments they are silencing themselves, because of being afraid of political reprisal, economic reprisal," she said. (AP)

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