THE FOREIGN Office has been urged to sanction Hong Kong officials following the resignation of pro-democracy politicians.
This morning the UK Government declared the latest actions by Beijing amounted to a breach of the joint declaration on Hong Kong between thew UK an China.
In a statement, the foreign secretary Dominic Raab said the chinese government had broken the sino-british agreement.
He said: "Beijing’s imposition of new rules to disqualify elected legislators in Hong Kong constitutes a clear breach of the legally-binding Sino-British Joint Declaration.
"China has once again broken its promises and undermined Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy. The UK will stand up for the people of Hong Kong and call out violations of their rights and freedoms.
"With our international partners, we will hold China to the obligations it freely assumed under international law.”
Read more: Fading freedom: Why Hong Kong may never be the same again
MPs grilled the foreign office minister Nigel Adams this morning about what actions the UK Government would now take against China or the officials in Hong Kong.
Mr Adams said: "This is the third time the Government has called a breach of the joint declaration since 1997 but the second time we’ve been forced to do so in the last six months.
“The decision is part of a pattern designed to harass and stifle all voices critical of China’s policies. The new rules for disqualification provide a further tool in this campaign with vague criteria open to wide-ranging interpretation.
“Hong Kong’s people are left now with a neutered legislature.”
Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael said the government's excuses were wearing thin over why stricter action was not being taken.
He urged the Foreign Office to consider Magnitsky-style sanctions on the Hong Kong officials responsible for the latest developments.
Speaking in the House, Mr Carmichael said:“I understand the Minister’s caution [on announcing sanctions]. But in practical terms for the likes of Carrie Lam, the idea that she might be at some stage subject to Magnitsky sanctions is something for which I think we have maybe now lost the element of surprise.
“So, the practical consequences of the government’s position are probably not that significant, but the political consequences of a more robust answer could be immense, especially if we were to pursue this through our membership of the UN Human Rights Council to which we have now been elected for the next two years. What’s the Minister going to do with that very useful tool?”
Read more: Hong Kong legislature opens with pro-democracy bloc set to resign
Mr Adams replied: "As tempting as it may be, it is absolutely inappropriate and not right for us to speculate on our sanctions regime. We don’t want a situation where the effect of our regime is diminished and speculation could very much do that. We are working very closely and very hard with the UN, as my Rt Hon friend will be aware.”
Mr Carmichael later said the Government's excuses were "wearing so thin they are practically transparent."
He added: "The Foreign Office has had months to prepare sanctions against Chinese officials abusing the rule of law in Hong Kong so to talk about speculation at this late stage will not cut it.
“There has been only one direction of travel for political freedom in Hong Kong in the past year. If we remain passive as the final dominoes fall then our supposed obligations to Hongkongers are meaningless. The Government must impose Magnitsky sanctions on those responsible now.”
Read more: Hong Kong's pro-democracy legislators resign en masse
Meanwhile Labour's shadow foreign minister Stephen Kinnock said his party supported tHe pro-democracy politiciians removed from the Hong King parliament yesterday.
He added: "This assault on democracy represents not only a clear breach of basic law and the joint-declaration, it also confirms that the Chinese government and the Hong Kong executive are committed to the removal of dissenting voices from the democratic process and to the repression of the rights of the people of Hong Kong.
“The Labour Party stands in solidarity with the four pro-democracy representatives who’ve been removed from the legislative council and with the 15 additional opposition members who have resigned in protest.
“Their departure leaves Hong Kong without an opposition in the legislature, removing one of the vital checks on the Hong Kong executive and effectively denying the people of Hong Kong the right to choose their own representatives.”
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