HK Authorities Should Not Inflame Tensions: Britain

The British government on Saturday expressed concern about the arrests of 15 pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong, urging the SAR authorities not to "inflame tensions".

Veteran democrat Martin Lee, media tycoon Jimmy Lai, former legislator Margaret Ng and serving lawmaker Leung Yiu-chung were among those charged for allegedly organising and taking part in unauthorised protests last year, with a court hearing set for May 18.

A spokesperson for Britain's foreign ministry said London would be following the cases closely.

"We expect any arrests and judicial processes to be conducted in a fair and transparent manner," the spokesperson said in a statement.

"The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to Hong Kong’s way of life and as such is protected in both the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law. It is essential that any protests are conducted peacefully, and that the authorities avoid actions that inflame tensions."

The statement added that the SAR authorities should focus on rebuilding trust through a process of meaningful political dialogue.