UK Government Voices Concern Over Disqualification Of Hong Kong District Councillors

UK Government Voices Concern Over Disqualification of Hong Kong District Councillors

The British government voiced on Thursday its concern over the disqualification of more than 50 "democratically-elected" Hong Kong district councillors, whose oaths of allegiance to the government were considered invalid, while around 260 were pressured to resign

LONDON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st October, 2021) The British government voiced on Thursday its concern over the disqualification of more than 50 "democratically-elected" Hong Kong district councillors, whose oaths of allegiance to the government were considered invalid, while around 260 were pressured to resign.

"It is deeply concerning that 55 District Councillors have been disqualified and over 250 pressured to resign for political reasons - the first time that such action has been taken against democratically elected District Councillors in the Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region)," UK foreign minister Liz Truss said in a statement.

The foreign secretary urged Hong Kong authorities to "uphold freedom of speech and allow the public a genuine choice of political representatives," claiming that trade unions, interest groups and NGOs have been forced to disband.

Shortly after the Chinese central government passed a national security law in June, 2020, the government of the Special Administrative Region in the former British colony asked all civil servants to take mandatory oaths of allegiance, and later on extended the order to all local-level representatives.