Asked by: Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the conviction of Edward Leung on charges of rioting.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In the most recent Six Monthly Report to Parliament, published on 15 March, the Foreign Secretary said “The rule of law and independence of the judiciary is the foundation on which Hong Kong’s success and prosperity is built. This reporting period has seen a large number of cases related to the political system come before Hong Kong’s courts… The judiciary in Hong Kong remains in high esteem. It will be vital that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is seen to use the system of justice fairly in all cases.”
I note that Hong Kong’s current International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) review is expected to report in late summer, and that the previous review recommended that Hong Kong “should ensure that the implementation of the Public Order Ordinance is in conformity with the Covenant”.
Individual cases regarding pro-democracy activists are a matter for the Hong Kong courts. However, the British Government has highlighted its hope that recent criminal proceedings do not discourage lawful protest, or discourage young people engaging in politics in the future. Hong Kong citizens are guaranteed the right to freedom of assembly and demonstration under the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law. As I set out to this House on 24 January, the British Government takes its commitment under the Joint Declaration very seriously.
Asked by: Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the number of the pro-democracy protesters and activists prosecuted under Hong Kong's public order ordinance since 2014, and (2) the compliance of the public order ordinance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In the most recent Six Monthly Report to Parliament, published on 15 March, the Foreign Secretary said “The rule of law and independence of the judiciary is the foundation on which Hong Kong’s success and prosperity is built. This reporting period has seen a large number of cases related to the political system come before Hong Kong’s courts… The judiciary in Hong Kong remains in high esteem. It will be vital that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is seen to use the system of justice fairly in all cases.”
I note that Hong Kong’s current International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) review is expected to report in late summer, and that the previous review recommended that Hong Kong “should ensure that the implementation of the Public Order Ordinance is in conformity with the Covenant”.
Individual cases regarding pro-democracy activists are a matter for the Hong Kong courts. However, the British Government has highlighted its hope that recent criminal proceedings do not discourage lawful protest, or discourage young people engaging in politics in the future. Hong Kong citizens are guaranteed the right to freedom of assembly and demonstration under the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law. As I set out to this House on 24 January, the British Government takes its commitment under the Joint Declaration very seriously.
Asked by: Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to raise concerns at the UN regarding the People’s Republic of China’s recent statement on the Sino–British Joint Declaration and the implementation of that treaty in recent years.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government has no plans to raise our concerns at the United Nations.
Asked by: Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
Her Majesty's Government what representations, if any, they are making to the Chief Executive of Hong Kong to take urgent steps to introduce universal suffrage in Hong Kong for the next elections for Chief Executive and the Legislative Council.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I issued a Written Ministerial Statement to the House on 29 June to mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, HLWS17, which outlined our assessment of the 'One Country, Two Systems' principle, as well as referencing specific concerns over its implementation. The UK continues to believe that it is in Hong Kong's best interests that discussion resumes between all parties in Hong Kong in order to make further progress towards a more democratic and accountable system of government, as provided for in the Basic Law.
Asked by: Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the People's Republic of China regarding that government's recent decision to reinterpret the Basic Law and other legislation retrospectively in Hong Kong; and what assessment they have made of the risks to basic freedoms of that reinterpretation.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary said in the Government's six-monthly report to the House published on 24 February that the UK Government had raised its concerns about the interpretation by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress relating to oath-taking for public servants. We did not question the right of the Standing Committee to issue this interpretation, but were concerned about the timing of its release before the conclusion of related judicial proceedings in the Hong Kong courts. The report has been published electronically in both libraries of the house.
I issued a Written Ministerial Statement, HLWS17, to the House on 29 June to mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region which outlined our assessment of the 'One Country, Two Systems' principle, as well as referencing specific concerns over its implementation. The UK believes that it is vital for Hong Kong's continued success that the Special Administrative Region's high degree of autonomy and rule of law are preserved and that the principle of 'One Country, Two Systems' is fully upheld.