Standing up for Hong Kong and Uyghurs

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to monopolize the attention of leaders around the  world, some international observers of China have concluded that the PRC government  authorities are attempting to exploit the crisis for geopolitical gain. From its disputed western border with India to the contested waters of the South China Sea, a common observation is that Beijing has stepped up its assertive behavior against its neighbors to settle old scores. In addition, the situation in Hong Kong has deteriorated over the last few months and culminated in Beijing announcing a bill on May 21st 2020 to “safeguard national security” in the city-state. This new security law threatens China’s commitments to citizens and international partners with regard to Hong Kong. The 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration has guaranteed basic rights and freedoms, including freedom of speech, of assembly, of  association and of press for 50 years after the handover of sovereignty, and the 1990 Basic

Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region stipulates that Hong Kong will maintain the autonomy and independence of the executive, legislature and judiciary, as well as the aforementioned rights. This new security law will effectively end Hong Kong’s autonomy under the “One Country, Two Systems” arrangement that has been in place since 1997.

Alongside the deteriorating situation in Hong Kong, the PRC has launched a full assault on the liberties of the people living in Xinjiang, with as many as 2 million ethnic Uyghurs currently being held in internment camps across the region. Those who are not in internment camps are under constant surveillance and face daily harassment from the Chinese Communist Party. What is happening in Xinjiang Autonomous Region is nothing more than a cultural cleansing.

It is time for the world to speak up and do more. FULL RESOLUTION to be downloaded in the link below: