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Members of a group of students who pleaded for the independence of Hong Kong from China camped in front of the US consulate on Sunday night to protest what they consider as a growing wave of political repression, calling Washington to intervene on behalf of the semi-autonomous. Region.
Hong Kong, a former British colony, has seen promise a "high degree of autonomy" and the preservation of its civil liberties when handed over to the Chinese administration in 1997, as part of An agreement called "one country, two systems". But many fear that China is violating the spirit of the agreement by repressing the perceived difficulties to Beijing's sovereignty over the financial hub.
A few dozen members of the Hong Kong Student Independence Union took part in the demonstration, camping outside the consulate's doors and calling on Congress to adopt Hong Kong's Human Rights and Democracy Law, which would impose sanctions against local authorities as "repressing fundamental freedoms". in the city.
Wayne Chan Ka-liu, organizer of the Student Independence Union, accused Hong Kong general manager Carrie Lam of "destroying the core values of Hong Kong" and implored the US to pass the law "very soon" to prevent a further deterioration of democratic freedoms. The protesters submitted a petition Monday around 9 am before dispersing.
Hong Kong's Human Rights and Democracy Law was proposed following the transfer of five Hong Kong booksellers to Mainland China in 2015. It would require the State Department to evaluate each year if Hong Kong is "sufficiently autonomous" to justify its distinct designation from the rest of the Republic. China; Failure to meet this threshold could result in visa bans and asset freezes.
An annual report of the Congressional Executive Committee on China, released last week, expressed concern over "the continued erosion of Hong Kong's autonomy" and "the reduction of leeway of pro-democracy groups ". Beijing had already warned that she had "zero tolerance" for supporters of Hong Kong independence.
Freedom of expression has been a particular concern in recent weeks. Last week, Financial Times Victor Mallet, editor-in-chief of Asia News, left Hong Kong after the immigration authorities rejected his visa application, which was widely regarded as the first expulsion of a foreign journalist by the city. The FT stated that he was appealing Mallet's visa refusal.
Mallet, who is also vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents' Club, organized a round table in August with pro-independence politician Andy Chan, despite the Chinese Foreign Ministry's objection. Chan's National Hong Kong Party was outlawed by the Hong Kong government the following month.
In a statement, Harvey Sernovitz, spokesman for the US consulate, described Mallet's rejection as "deeply troubling," noting that it "reflected the problems faced by international journalists on the continent."
In the latest example of restrictions on political activities, Hong Kong on Friday banned Lau Siu-lai, a parliamentarian defending democracy, from running for a seat she won in 2016. Lau was one of six elected legislators who were defeated of their duties in connection with a controversy over their oaths. Office; Lau was reputed to have recited his too slowly. Lau is the ninth candidate prevented from running since 2016, according to South China Morning message.
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