China must discard the Hong Kong Security Law, demand 86 chief international NGO

Washington: The prime international NGOs of the world have fired a salvo of criticism on the Chinese Communist Regime, by mentioning that the new Hong Kong security law is a devastating assault on the Human Rights law. More than 80 international NGOs have unanimously addressed a letter to the China parliament, urging it to scrap the Hong Kong security law. The Standing Committee seminar of the China Parliament starts from Thursday, and this new law can be passed. Against this background, this letter that addresses the Hong Kong issue is bound to increase international pressure on China.

86 international NGOs, including the Freedom House, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders, World Uyghur Congress, have unanimously written this letter in favour of Hong Kong. In this letter, which is addressed to Li Zhanshu, the Chairman of the Chinese Standing Committee, the NGOs have accused China of not revealing any concrete evidence to the world. Moreover, the letter also mentions that it criminalises broad, vague ‘offences’ that can encompass any criticism of the government and be used against people peacefully exercising and defending their human rights.

‘China must abandon plans to introduce national security legislation for Hong Kong. No government should invoke national security as a justification for measures that perpetuate repressive practices against its population’, warned the letter in part. NGOs from the United States, Australia, Europe, Canada, Taiwan and Hong Kong are involved in the process of drafting this letter.

In the last month, the National Security Law bill was presented in the China parliament for Hong Kong. The bill was proposed and supported under the guideline that law and order in Hong Kong must be strengthened for the national security of China. The bill officially grants permission to Chinese security force to take legal action in Hong Kong. Thus, the citizens of Hong Kong have once again struck widespread protests against this bill.

Earlier, Hong Kong used to be a British colony. Then in 1997, the United Kingdom signed a treaty with China and handed Hong Kong over to them. However, the British government had also signed some crucial deals while signing this takeover with China. One of the deals mentioned that China must handle the Hong Kong administration as per the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ policy. At the same time, this policy ensured that Hong Kong’s autonomy would continue for the next 50 years. But, in the last few years, the Chinese Communist Regime initiated movements to topple this system in Hong Kong.

Furthermore, the ruling Chinese Regime had introduced various bills in 2003, 2014 and 2019 to obtain full control over Hong Kong. In 2014, the Chinese ruling party successfully put pressure on Hong Kong and imposed its policy on them. But, last year, the Hong Kong citizens terrifically challenged the Chinese Communist Regime and forced them out. Hence, by introducing the National Security Law, the Chinese Communist Regime intends to strengthen its hold over Hong Kong.

Against the background of Coronavirus pandemic, severe outrage is being expressed from across the world over this move of China on Hong Kong. Along with the United States and Europe, Japan and Australia have also held the Chinese Communist Party accountable over the Hong Kong issue. Moreover, the United States has already initiated action against China, and the United Kingdom and Australia are also on the verge of taking aggressive decisions.