On March 1, 47 pro-democracy activists were arraigned at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Court, and a crowd of people appeared outside the court to show solidarity with the arrested people, with slogans incessantly.
According to Apple Daily, British Foreign Secretary Lan Tao Wen said in a Twitter post that the Hong Kong government’s prosecution of the 47 people was “deeply disturbing,” highlighting that the Hong Kong version of the National Security Law is a tool used to eliminate dissent and runs counter to Beijing‘s commitment.
The EU office in Hong Kong said in a post that the EU is very concerned about the prosecution of the 47 pro-democracy activists, which clearly shows that the Hong Kong government no longer tolerates legitimate pluralism in politics, and urged the Hong Kong and Beijing authorities to abide by their commitments to fundamental freedoms and the rule of law under the Basic Law and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by immediately releasing those arrested.
Amnesty International Hong Kong said in a Twitter post that the prosecution of 47 pro-democracy activists on charges of “subversion” is “a brutal attack on peaceful expression and assembly, and that the Hong Kong authorities are using national security laws as a pretext to suppress political opposition” and urged their immediate release.
Benedict Rogers, vice chairman of the British Conservative Party’s Human Rights Committee and chairman of Hong Kong Monitor, said the incident was outrageous and shocking and lacked justice; it was Time for the free world to take action and sanction the Communist tyrant. Later, he posted again that condemning the arrests and urging their release was no longer enough, and that words alone would not solve the problem. The EU must now impose targeted sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials who violate human rights and international agreements.
“Hong Kong Monitor issued a statement on its official website, saying that almost every prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activist has been imprisoned, in exile or awaiting sentencing, and that the international community cannot stand idly by. The statement said it is indisputable that the Hong Kong version of the National Security Law is aimed at eliminating the democratic movement in Hong Kong and silencing dissent, and that restricting pro-democracy activists from participating in elections violates China’s obligations under the Sino-British Joint Declaration. The statement added that “the international community cannot stand idly by and must call for the immediate release of all those arrested under the state security law, push for the Magnitsky Act, impose sanctions on Hong Kong and Chinese Communist Party officials, and ensure that the EU does not cooperate with Beijing as Hong Kong’s autonomy continues to be encroached upon by Beijing.
Samuel Chu, executive director of the Hong Kong Democratic Commission (HKDC), also condemned the government’s actions, saying that the government was referring to the crime of “daring to run in elections, serve as a representative, and speak out for the people. This reflects how much the Communist Party fears the will of the people”.
Luke de Pulford, a member of the British Conservative Party’s Human Rights Committee, said, “47 people are accused of organizing a legitimate election in Hong Kong, and their lives are no longer the same, so can this latest abomination cause us in the Foreign Office to (say) more than “grave concern”? more than a “serious concern” response?”
Clifford Stott, a former member of the Hong Kong IPCC’s international panel of experts, said, “This is the day when participation in the democratic process becomes a crime.”
In addition, U.S. Secretary of State John Blinken also issued a statement on twitter saying, “We condemn the detention and prosecution of pan-democratic candidates in the Hong Kong election and call for their immediate release. Political participation and freedom of speech should not constitute a crime. The United States stands with the people of Hong Kong.”
Meanwhile, major Western media outlets also focused on the incident, with CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, the BBC and The Guardian reporting on the incident. In Asia, The Hindu, Japan’s Asahi Shimbun and the Japan Broadcasting Association (NHK) also reported the story. The Wall Street Journal described the incident as meaning that every voice of opposition in Hong Kong, including moderate opposition voices, has been jailed or exiled, crushing Hong Kong’s aspirations for democracy, and that democracy fighters face a terrible choice: either leave the country or go to jail.
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