Hong Kong arrests were within the law
I refer to your article last week, ‘Outrage at arrests in Hong Kong’, which made some unfounded allegations about arrests of people for organising and participating in unauthorised assemblies in Hong Kong.
The arrests have nothing to do with the distractions of the coronavirus pandemic, but everything to do with upholding the rule of law.
The rule of law is a core value in Hong Kong. As in the UK, everyone in Hong Kong is equal before the law. No one can break the law without facing consequences, nor will cases be handled any differently owing to the political beliefs or background of the persons involved.
The arrests in question were made in strict accordance with the laws in Hong Kong and based on evidence from investigations.
The police are duty-bound to handle every case in a fair, just and impartial manner.
Prosecutions will be commenced only if there is sufficient admissible evidence to support a reasonable prospect of conviction.
Furthermore, our fiercely independent judiciary rules on every case without fear or favour.
Winky So, Director-General, Hong Kong Economic &
Trade Office, London
It is, as your headline read last week, ‘beyond belief’ that not just in China, but in Indonesian wet markets too, bats are still for sale to eat. What is it going to take to make these countries realise that they are going to cause another pandemic? Terrified dogs and cats are crammed into rusty cages, bats and scorpions are offered for sale as traditional medicine, rabbits and ducks are slaughtered and skinned side by side. While the world is grappling with the pandemic, these markets are up and running. It may have been an animal rights problem before, but now it is a global health problem.
Urgent international action is needed to prevent these wildlife animal markets. Josh Taylor, Elgin, Moray
Yet again Evgeny Lebedev last week highlighted the appalling mistreatment to animals of all kinds across Asia. Animal cruelty of any kind should be rooted out by civilised societies around the globe. John Peat, Lincolnshire
Since the Chinese Embassy’s views have been appearing on an almost weekly basis recently on these pages, I was rather disappointed that there was no letter last week defending the country’s position regarding the coronavirus crisis.
We don’t have much to laugh about these days, so last Sunday
was quite quiet in this household without their input. John Ward,
Spalding, Lincolnshire
I wonder if the state-run Chinese press would allow the UK Embassy in China to respond to criticism in the way that your good paper has given oxygen to the Chinese Embassy here? It demonstrates the difference between a democratic society and a totalitarian one. Charles Harbidge,
Menston, West Yorkshire