The European Union is concerned about the arrest of prominent opposition activist Joshua Wong in Hong Kong and such events call into question China's ability to uphold its international commitments, spokeswoman for the EU External Action Service Nabila Massrali said on Thursday
BRUSSELS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2020) The European Union is concerned about the arrest of prominent opposition activist Joshua Wong in Hong Kong and such events call into question China's ability to uphold its international commitments, spokeswoman for the EU External Action Service Nabila Massrali said on Thursday
Earlier in the day, the Hong Kong police detained Joshua Wong over his alleged participation in an unauthorized rally in October last year.
"The arrest of Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong on 24 September is the latest in a troubling series of arrests of pro-democracy activists since the summer. These arrests warrant very careful scrutiny by the independent judiciary. The European Union reiterates that an independent judicial system, operating free of political influence and consideration, is a cornerstone of Hong Kong's autonomy under the one country, two systems principle and is protected by the Basic Law," Massrali said.
According to the statement, such developments in Hong Kong call into question China's ability to uphold its international commitments, undermine trust and impact EU-China relations.
The massive protests began in Hong Kong in June 2019 over a controversial extradition bill, which was officially withdrawn in October. Frustrated with the local authorities' heavy-handed responses to the protests, the demonstrators expanded their demands to add an independent investigation into alleged police brutality and greater civil liberties, including universal suffrage, while calling for the resignation of Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam.
In the fall of 2019, amid an escalation in civil unrest and violence in the city, the government in Hong Kong introduced a Prohibition on Face Covering Regulation under the Emergency Regulations Ordinance (ERO), which banned residents from wearing face masks. The government argued that the ordinance was necessary to help the police identify perpetrators of violence during protests. The city's high court judges however ruled that the new regulation, was incompatible with the city's mini-constitution, known as the Basic Law.
A spokesman for Beijing's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office then said that the Hong Kong High Court's decision was an "explicit challenge" to China's top legislature and the authority of Hong Kong.
