We can no longer ignore rights abuses in Hong Kong
Alistair Carmichael
Tuesday February 25 2020, 12.01am, The Times

A year after protests began in Hong Kong against a proposed Chinese extradition law, it is clear that Beijing will not reverse their systematic violation of human rights and democracy in the region. It is also obvious that the people of Hong Kong have no intention of backing down in their defence of their traditional liberties.

During the handover, the United Kingdom promised Hongkongers that their rights and freedoms would be protected, and there would be progress towards universal suffrage. The Sino-British Joint Declaration enshrining these promises was lodged with the United Nations.

Two decades later, the “one country, two systems” arrangement is a shadow of what it was supposed to be, mocked by Beijing officials as a “historical document”.

Over the last year there have been repeated reports of police violence, including the use of live ammunition against a young protester. Thousands face criminal charges for fighting for the freedoms that they were promised. Students have faced “kettling” tactics in their own university. Police has fired tear gas at protesters.

Before the handover, Paddy Ashdown, the leader of the Liberal Democrats at the time, forcefully argued that the United Kingdom risked a “betrayal of the people of Hong Kong and the betrayal of the rights of our passport holders to exercise the use of those passports effectively”. No right was given to British National Overseas (BNO) passport holders to live in the UK should China renege on the promises made. The UK government failed to ensure the agreement would be enforced, there was no threat of repercussions.

That the Chinese state has reneged on the Sino-British Joint Declaration is no longer a matter of debate. Their abrogation of responsibility is undeniable in the face of police violence and the demands for change from the people of Hong Kong.

We now face the reality that Paddy warned about, and it is time for our government to act. MPs across parliament have made it clear that we must not turn our backs on the people who trusted us with their freedoms. The BNO passports in their current form have proven to be ineffective in dissuading further encroachment on Hong Kong’s freedom.

At the end of last year, the United States passed a bill to take measures against those responsible for human rights abuses in Hong Kong, and to ensure an annual review into their trading relationship with China. The bill was supported across Congress, a reminder that standing up for democracy is no party-political issue.

Now, we have the opportunity to do the same. The duty on the UK to take action is arguably even greater than that of the US, due to our shared history. That is why I am bringing forward a bill this week to uphold the promises we have made to the people of Hong Kong.

This legislation would reopen the BNO passport scheme, extending it to give the right to live in the UK. It would strengthen the UK government’s regular reports on Hong Kong, requiring a judgement on whether the Joint Declaration has been breached. If the situation does not improve, the passport scheme would remain open and the government could take steps with regards to trade and assets.

Rather than sitting on our hands, the UK can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of Hong Kong. I am calling on the government to take an active approach by adopting this bill. It is time to do what we should have done during the handover: give the people of Hong Kong the guarantees they need by providing their right to live in the UK. If we as a country are serious about this new era of “Global Britain”, this is our chance to prove it.

Alistair Carmichael is foreign affairs spokesman for the Liberal Democrats