NGO, Govt Query Latest Report Card From Britain

The government has rejected criticism from Britain which questioned Beijing's commitment to the 'one country, two systems' principle and criticised the government's handling of the extradition legislation and the subsequent protests. A UK charity which focuses on human rights in the SAR also faulted the report, saying it didn't go far enough.

The half-yearly report - which covered the six months to June 30 - also looked at the trial of high-profile members of the Occupy Central movement, the national anthem legislation, but largely focused on the extradition issue.

It said the extradition legislation "clearly worried a large proportion of Hong Kong’s population, and sparked widespread protests", adding that London condemned violence but supported the right to peaceful protest.

"The Hong Kong SAR Government needs to identify a clear and peaceful way forward under its high degree of autonomy. It is imperative that this is done through constructive, meaningful dialogue with the Hong Kong people, to ensure the concerns of the Hong Kong people are addressed," the report said.

Responding to the report, the government said it had launched "a diversified dialogue platform and will invite community leaders, experts and academics to conduct an in-depth and independent examination of the social conflicts in Hong Kong and the deep-seated problems that must be addressed".

It also reiterated that the SAR enjoyed a high degree of autonomy and the government was implementing the 'one country, two systems' principle, and safeguarding the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong people.

A government spokesman said that the extradition legislation had been scrapped, but protests had continued, with "illegal incidents, causing damage to district and community facilities as well as injury to members of the public".

It rejected criticism of the police, saying the Independent Police Complaints Council was conducting a fact-finding study on the handling of large-scale public order events since June, and had enlisted a panel of international experts to contribute.

A government spokesman also said "foreign governments should not interfere in any form in the internal affairs of the HKSAR".

Separately, Hong Kong Watch also faulted the British report, saying it "fails to adequately address police brutality by the Hong Kong Police Force, or call for an independent judge-led inquiry into police brutality.

"This type of inquiry, which has been proposed by prominent figures from across Hong Kong, including former Chief Justice Andrew Li, is widely seen by protestors to be a necessary step if there is to be any deescalation. It is therefore disappointing that the current UK Foreign Secretary has stepped back from his predecessor's call for such an inquiry," the NGO said in a statement.

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