The United States has denounced the detainment of eight opposition figures in Hong Kong arrested over a brawl in the local Legislative Council on May 8, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on Monday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd November, 2020) The United States has denounced the detainment of eight opposition figures in Hong Kong arrested over a brawl in the local Legislative Council on May 8, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on Monday.
"The United States strongly condemns the arrests of eight pan-democratic politicians in Hong Kong, including five sitting members of the Legislative Council," Pompeo said. "The arrest of these lawmakers six months after the incident in question is a clear abuse of law enforcement for political purposes."
Earlier on Monday, the South China Morning Post reported that Hong Kong opposition lawmaker Ted Hui Chi-fung was arrested over a brawl in the Legislative Council on May 8, making him the eighth opposition politician to be detained for being involved in the incident.
Pompeo said the Hong Kong government's harassment and intimidation of pro-democracy representatives and attempts to stifle dissent are stark examples of its ongoing complicity with what he called is the authoritarian Chinese Communist Party, which seeks to dismantle the promised autonomy of Hong Kong and eviscerate respect for human rights.
"We call on Beijing and the Hong Kong government to respect the right of the Hong Kong people to air their grievances through their elected representatives," Pompeo said.
Hui was detained when he showed up at a police station for an unrelated issue in the morning. The opposition lawmaker is now a suspect in a case involving two violations under Hong Kong's Powers and Privileges ordinance.
On May 8, a fight broke out in the Hong Kong legislature as members were trying to appoint a new committee chairman responsible for checking government bills before lawmakers vote on them.
