As a Patron of HKW and an officer of the APPG on Hong Kong, I personally know Martin Lee, father of HK democracy, Margaret Ng, a formidable lawyer and Jimmy Lai, Champion of free speech and the full holder of a UK passport.
Does the Minister agree they deserve better than a medieval Star Chamber and Stalinist show trials with Chinese characteristics ? Isn’t the debasement of law by puppets and Quislings best met by calling out the CCP at the next meeting of the UN Human Rights Council, focusing on the CCP’s law and Treaty breaking and its sentencing, imprisonment, or detention in psychiatric institutions of women and men whose values we share.
My Lords, I agree totally with the noble Lord on the issue of values. That is why, as I am sure he would acknowledge, we have led in statements and in consolidating and increasing support at the Human Rights Council. It is something I have personally been engaged in and will continue to campaign for and make note of. He raised the cases of various individuals. Speaking personally, I saw the final interview Jimmy Lai gave just before his arrest, and it is quite chilling to see the conduct that happened thereafter to someone who stood up for media freedom. What has he been arrested for? It is for illegal assembly. We need to put this into context as well
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New Early Day Motion tabled in the House of Commons – MPs can be encouraged to sign the Motion
Salute to pro-democracy campaigners in Hong Kong
EDM (Early Day Motion)1745: tabled on 19 April 2021
Alistair Carmichael MP
That this House notes with profound disappointment the sentencing to prison of Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigners, including Jimmy Lai; condemns the Chinese government’s clamp down on freedom of speech, movement and association in Hong Kong since the introduction of the National Security Law; salutes those arrested, tried and punished by the Chinese communist controlled administration in Hong Kong for championing liberty and democracy; calls on the UK government to make immediate representations to the Chinese government on this matter; and urges the early introduction of Magnitsky-style sanctions against Chinese and Hong Kong officials responsible for this gross violation of the principles of the Basic Law and the Joint Sino British Declaration.
