The countries urged the Chinese and Hong Kong governments to reconsider the tax. (File)
Geneva:
China must reconsider its vast national security law imposed on Hong Kong which “undermines” the freedoms of the city, said 27 countries in a joint statement on Tuesday.
Beijing must also allow the chief of rights of the United Nations to have significant access to its western province of Xinjiang, states – including Great Britain, France, Germany and Japan – said. from a rare oral reprimand from China to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Julian Braithwaite, Britain’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, read the statement to the council on behalf of all the signatories.
The 27 countries have “deep and growing concerns” about the new security law, which has clear implications for the human rights of people in Hong Kong, the statement said.
Imposing the law without the direct participation of the people, the legislative or judicial power of Hong Kong “undermines” the principle “One country, two systems” guaranteeing in Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy, rights and freedoms, declared the signatories.
“We urge the governments of China and Hong Kong to reconsider the imposition of this legislation and to engage the people, institutions and the justice system of Hong Kong to prevent a further erosion of the rights and freedoms enjoyed by the people of Hong Kong since many years, “the statement said. said.
The signatories were Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland and 15 European Union states, including the Netherlands and Sweden.
“A number of signatories to this statement submitted a letter last year expressing concern about arbitrary detention, extensive surveillance and restrictions, targeting in particular Uighurs and other minorities in Xinjiang “, the statement said.
“These deep concerns have been reinforced by additional information now in the public domain.”
A study by a German researcher said on Monday that Chinese authorities are forcing sterilizations of Uyghurs and other women belonging to ethnic minorities in an apparent campaign to limit the population.
The countries urged China to grant Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, “significant access to Xinjiang as soon as possible.”
The signatories urged Bachelet to regularly provide information on the human rights situation in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, “in order to safeguard the rights and freedoms guaranteed by international law”.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
