UK Wants HK Probe, Warns Over Export Licences

Britain urged an independent investigation into the violence against anti-extradition protesters in Hong Kong, warning on Tuesday that it wouldn't authorise the export of any more crowd control equipment to the SAR until its concerns have been addressed.

"I today urge the Hong Kong ... government to establish a robust, independent investigation into the violent scenes that we saw," Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in parliament.

"The outcome of that investigation will inform our assessment of future export licence applications to the Hong Kong police and we will not issue any further export licences for crowd control equipment to Hong Kong unless we are satisfied that concerns raised on human rights and fundamental freedoms have been thoroughly addressed."

Hunt stressed the importance of the 'one country, two systems' formula being honoured.

"We will stand by that agreement and we expect China to do the same," Hunt said. "What happens in Hong Kong is, I think for all of us, a litmus test of the direction of travel that China goes in."

"The fundamental freedoms of Hong Kong are what have made it such a stunning success since 1997 and indeed before 1997 - anything that contradicted the letter or spirit of the basic law that preserves them should not happen," Hunt added.

A Foreign Office source said there were currently no live licences for crowd control equipment, and no new ones would be issued until conditions were met.

The last UK export licence for tear gas hand grenades and tear gas cartridges for Hong Kong police to use in training was issued in July 2018, the ministry said earlier this month.

The last export licence for rubber bullets was in July 2015 while an open licence for riot shields was rejected in April 2019. (Reuters, AFP)