The government has hit back at the 2023 annual report on Hong Kong issued by the EU on Thursday as the city strongly urged the EU to discern facts from fallacies and to stop interfering in Hong Kong matters “which are purely China’s internal affairs.”
The EU report mentioned the low turnout rate of the District Council election in December, the first extra-territorial application of the National Security Law for the arrest warrants for 13 self-exiled activists, as well as court hearings regarding the 47 democrats, the Stand News, and Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying.
“The 2023 annual report illustrates in great detail the continuous erosion of the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong and the dismantling of the ‘one country, two systems’ principle,” said Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
“The political opposition in Hong Kong has been effectively excluded from elections. The National Security Law continues to be used to stifle dissent, including abroad.
“These developments undermine trust in the rule of law in Hong Kong and affect Hong Kong’s standing as an international business hub,” Borrell also said.
In response, the Hong Kong government issued a statement late Thursday night, telling the EU to respect international law and basic norms of governing international relations and not to interfere in Hong Kong matters.
The government spokesman said since the implementation of the NSL in June 2020, the EU has ignored the large-scale and incessant riots which occurred in 2019 that devastated society, livelihoods and the economy of Hong Kong.
The spokesman also said the Department of Justice takes charge of criminal prosecutions, free from any interference by virtue of Article 63 of the Basic Law. “All prosecutorial decisions are based on an objective analysis of all admissible evidence and applicable laws.”
Everyone charged with a criminal offense has the right to a fair hearing, and cases will never be handled any differently owing to the profession, political beliefs or background of the persons involved, the spokesman noted.
The spokesman also pointed out that the improved electoral system puts legal safeguards in place to ensure the full implementation of ‘patriots administering Hong Kong’.
“The chaos of the earlier term District Councils is well known to everyone in Hong Kong and abhorred. To put DCs back on the right track, the reform was therefore necessary and imperative,” the spokesman said.
