Singer Denise Ho To Address UN Rights Body

Hong Kong singer and activist Denise Ho is set to address the United Nations Human Rights Council next week to explain Hongkongers' concerns about the city's proposed extradition bill.

Ho has emerged as a high-profile figure in the SAR's pro-democracy movement and has been invited by UN Watch and the Human Rights Foundation to make the address in Geneva.

“I am hoping to raise awareness to the critical situation in Hong Kong, where our fight for democracy has risen to a new level. We have been facing great difficulties, with excessive force used by the police, and our demands falling on deaf ears,” she said, according to a UN Watch statement.

As well as the government's now suspended extradition bill, which would have opened the way for fugitives to be sent to the mainland for trial, Ho said she wanted to highlight Beijing's growing influence in Hong Kong and around the world.

“This is an issue not solely concerning Hong Kong, but also the global community. With China widely interfering in Hong Kong government’s affairs, the UN needs to address these issues, and help Hong Kong regain its democratic rights," she said.

"We need to condemn any country who is silencing people who are against their policies."

Since her involvement in the 2014 Occupy pro-democracy protests, Ho's music and live performances have been banned on the mainland.