Britain’s Foreign Secretary is concerned about the threat to freedom of expression in Hong Kong, and other things.
Jeremy Hunt’s worries about the “continued pressure on Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy” were included in the most recent six-monthly report on the city, submitted to the UK’s parliament this week.
The report, covering January and June, cites the government’s backlash against academic Benny Tai’s discussion of Hong Kong independence earlier this year, among examples fueling the “growing concern” about free speech in the city.
The official uproar at pro-separatist Andy Chan and moves to ban his political party the Hong Kong National Party (HKNP) kicked off after the reporting period. No doubt it’ll make next year’s report.
While Britain doesn’t support the notion of independence — seeing it as neither a realistic nor a desirable option — it nevertheless was worried about moves to quash discussion of any topic.
“However, the right of freedom of expression, freedom of speech and academic freedom are guaranteed by the Joint Declaration and enshrined in the Basic Law,” he wrote.
The report also pointed to the barring of candidates like Demosisto’s Agnes Chow, from competing in elections. Chow was banned because the party promoted “self determination” for Hong Kong.
“Taken together, I assess that these developments give cause for concern about respect for rights and freedoms, and contribute to a reduction of political plurality in Hong Kong,” it wrote.
In a response released today, the Hong Kong government asserted freedom of speech was “not absolute” and slammed Hong Kong independence as “a blatant violation of the Basic Law.”
