The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Secretary said:
Hong Kong’s reputation as an international city was founded on
respect for the rule of law, the independence of its
institutions, its high degree of autonomy and protection of the
rights and freedoms afforded to all people living and working
there. This new law, rushed through the legislative process, will
have far-reaching implications for all of these areas.
The broad definitions of national security and external
interference will make it harder for those who live, work and do
business in Hong Kong. It fails to provide certainty for
international organisations, including diplomatic missions, who
are operating there. It will entrench the culture of
self-censorship which now dominates Hong Kong’s social and
political landscape, and enable the continuing erosion of
freedoms of speech, of assembly, and of the media.
The overall impact of Hong Kong’s new national security
law is that it will further damage the rights and freedoms
enjoyed in the city. It undermines Hong Kong’s
implementation of binding international obligations including the
Sino-British Joint Declaration and the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights.
I urge the Hong Kong authorities to respect the rights and
freedoms enshrined in the Basic Law, uphold its high degree of
autonomy and the rule of law and act in accordance with its
international commitments and legal obligations.
