Comments by UK MPs threaten HK’s rule of law

Judith Yu says their irresponsible remarks are seriously undermining the city’s judicial independence, which is unacceptable to the majority of Hong Kong residents

In March last year, The Special Administrative Region government laid charges against nine key participants of the illegal “Occupy Central” movement, including Benny Tai Yiu-ting, Chan Kin-man, Chu Yiu-ming and Tanya Chan Suk-chong. On the first day of their trial on Nov 19, eight members of the British Parliament filed a motion, condemning the SAR government for prosecuting the people concerned. Chief Secretary for Administration Matthew Cheung Kin-chung rightly criticized those UK Parliament members for interfering in the SAR’s internal affairs. Under the pretext of “defending Hong Kong’s rule of law and judicial independence”, what these British politicians are doing is in reality undermining Hong Kong’s judicial independence and rule of law.

The illegal “Occupy Central” movement quickly evolved into a state of turmoil and riots in the fall of 2014, exposing its true face beneath the “love and peace” veil. The reality is that “Occupy” was never a peaceful demonstration but an illegal and violent campaign which turned Hong Kong into a city of violence, unrest and disorder. This seriously damaged our city’s reputation as a society ruled by law.

“Occupy” has opened the Pandora’s box of the so-called achieving justice by violating the law. The toxic ideas it unleashed have severely undermined the foundation of Hong Kong’s rule of law. That members of the British Parliament are condemning the SAR government for prosecuting “Occupy” protesters is a blatant attack on Hong Kong’s judicial system and rule of law.

It is worth noting that Alan Leong Kah-kit and Martin Lee Chu-ming recently knocked on the European Parliament’s door and badmouthed Hong Kong there. During their visit to Europe, they attended a number of caucuses and informal meetings. There they not only discredited the “one country, two systems” policy but also called on European Parliament members to keep monitoring the implementation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration. On Sept 30, Benny Tai, together with Martin Lee and Nathan Law Kwun-chung, bore false witness against the Central Government at the Conservative Party Conference, claiming that since the end of the “Occupy” movement in 2014, the Central People’s Government had been exerting pressure on the SAR government to disqualify pro-independence candidates and self-determination advocates from participating in Legislative Council elections. They urged the British government to take a tougher stance on Hong Kong affairs.

Members of the opposition camp also sought US interference in Hong Kong’s internal affairs, suggesting that the US reassess the appropriateness of treating Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland as two independent customs territories. By criticizing the SAR abroad, members of the opposition camp have provided an excuse for the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission to target Hong Kong in its latest report and for the UK Parliament members to attack the SAR government.

In fact, this was not the first time members of the opposition camp colluded with foreign politicians to interfere in Hong Kong’s internal affairs and undermine rule of law in the city.

Benedict Rogers, who is the deputy chairman of the UK Conservative Party’s Human Rights Commission, set up the “Hong Kong Watch” think tank with several anti-China politicians after he was denied entry into Hong Kong in October 2017. Currently as the chair of Hong Kong Watch, he vowed to persistently “monitor” the situation of human rights, freedoms and rule of law in the SAR and “be the voice” for Hong Kong overseas. But what the organization has really been doing is besmirching Hong Kong.

In December 2014, the request made by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the UK Parliament to come to Hong Kong to “investigate” the implementation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration was rejected by the Central People’s Government. The opposition camp made a row in LegCo and defended the committee’s attempt to intervene in Hong Kong’s affairs.

The UK Parliament members have made a blatant attempt to undermine the rule of law in Hong Kong by interfering into the prosecution and trial of “Occupy” protesters. Hong Kong’s mature judiciary system is recognized internationally and its rule of law is generally approved by local people. This proves that the SAR’s current legal system has full legitimacy.

In order to maintain their interest in Hong Kong after its reunification with the motherland, Britain has groomed a pro-British political force in the city, who acts as a proxy for British interests. The “Occupy” movement showed that these “strategic lurkers” always worked hand in hand with their foreign masters in promoting their agenda in the SAR.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Hua Chun-ying once pointed out that after Hong Kong’s return, the UK has no sovereignty, jurisdiction or right of supervision over Hong Kong, and that there is no such thing as a “moral obligation”. It is absurd and ridiculous that UK parliament members regard themselves as Hong Kong’s supervisors and make irresponsible remarks on Hong Kong affairs, which will undermine the city’s rule of law. This is also unacceptable to the vast majority of Hong Kong residents.

It is absurd and ridiculous that UK parliament members regard themselves as Hong Kong’s supervisors and make irresponsible remarks on Hong Kong affairs.

The author is a member of the National Committee of CPPCC.