In a press conference in solidarity with 10 Hong Kong people sentenced by a Chinese court, Taiwanese citizens and human rights groups criticized the court’s trial process as black box and violating human rights, and called on the Taiwanese government to face up to the deteriorating situation in Hong Kong and upgrade its policy of supporting Hong Kong.
The Yantian District Court in Shenzhen, China, recently handed down sentences ranging from seven months to three years in the case of 12 Hong Kong people smuggled into Hong Kong, with two of the minors being sent to the Hong Kong police.
The 12 Hong Kong residents were intercepted by officers of the Shenzhen Marine Police Bureau on their way to Taiwan by boat from Hong Kong in the early hours of Aug. 23 and sent to China for trial.
In response, Taiwanese citizens and human rights groups held a press conference on Thursday (Dec. 31), criticizing the Chinese courts for black-box trials and
human rights violations, and called on the Taiwanese government to escalate its policy of supporting Hong Kong.
These civic groups will jointly propose an amendment to the Hong Kong and Macau Ordinance next year regarding “human rights and democracy provisions in Hong Kong”, specifying that the Executive Yuan should make an assessment report on the situation of democracy and human rights in Hong Kong at least once a year, and formulate a response plan accordingly.
Jiang Min-jian, a researcher of the Economic and Democratic Alliance, pointed out that President Tsai Ing-wen once said that once the situation in Hong Kong changes, the application of the Hong Kong and Macau Ordinance can be stopped, but although this approach is well-intentioned, it does not specify specific countermeasures, which can easily cause confusion.
He said: “And the Hong Kong human rights and democracy provisions that we have introduced, the future cooperation with legislators, is expected to amend the law of this provision, is to take advantage of this amendment, how Taiwan assesses Hong Kong, how the Taiwan government can have a further administrative plan, bill or executive order after freezing the Hong Kong and Macao Ordinance, should be clear and clear, joint international community pro-Hong Kong bill, together to show the determination and will to deal with China and support Hong Kong against China.”
Jiang Min proverb also said that the US government has passed the “Hong Kong Bill of Rights and Democracy”, “Hong Kong Protection Act”, “Hong Kong Autonomy Act”, etc. since the anti-Sino movement in Hong Kong, and the European Parliament has also made resolutions on the “Hong Kong version of the National Security Law“, including considering sanctions against Chinese officials, and urging European countries to develop “lifeboat” plans to rescue Hong Kong people.
The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Hong Shen Han said he would definitely assist the civic groups to support Hong Kong’s upgrade bill, because Hong Kong is Taiwan’s most important partner in the fight against Chinese Communist tyranny and must support it to the end.
He said, “The fate of Taiwan and Hong Kong, I think, are tied together. If Hong Kong is really taken by the Chinese Communist Party and there is no way to resist anymore, then Taiwan must be the next to suffer.”
Member Hung Shen-Han added that the protest movement in Hong Kong over the past period of time has reminded Taiwan why democracy is important and why the Chinese Communist regime cannot be trusted, and that Taiwan must stand with Hong Kong and provide more help.
Speaking at the meeting, Wu Hiei-ren, an associate researcher at the Institute of Taiwan History at the Academia Sinica, said that in the face of the rapidly deteriorating situation in Hong Kong, especially the human rights situation, which has led to the persecution of a large number of democracy activists and the general public, the Taiwanese government can no longer use “national security” as a reason for passivity and inaction.
He said, “In addition to liberalizing immigration and schooling measures, the government must take more active and effective actions to rescue and assist those who are persecuted for participating in the democracy movement, and to condemn and pressurize the Chinese and Hong Kong governments.”
Wu Hiei also pointed out that although Taiwan is isolated internationally, Taiwan still has a certain amount of power, as well as legitimacy and soft power, and should do more.
Zhang Yumeng, chairman of the Taiwan Youth for Democracy Association, called on the Taiwanese government to review the special status of Hong Kong and the special treatment received by Hong Kong investors, and in addition, the corresponding program should include sanctions against relevant Chinese officials.
Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party government is currently providing humanitarian aid to Hong Kong on an ad hoc basis and has established a Taiwan-Hong Kong Exchange Office. Taiwan’s Executive President Su Tseng-chang once said that the existing Hong Kong and Macau regulations are sufficient to help Hong Kong people and that there is no need for legislative amendments.
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