In full: 191 parliamentarians and policymakers from 23 countries slam Beijing for ‘assault’ on Hong Kong freedoms and rule of law


by HONG KONG FREE PRESS 24TH MAY 2020

A coalition of 191 parliamentarians and policymakers from 23 countries have issued a statement condemning Beijing’s “unilateral introduction of national security legislation in Hong Kong,’ and calling for sympathetic governments to unite against this ‘flagrant breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration.”

File photo: via Flickr.The letter comes after Beijing announced plans to roll out national security legislation in the autonomous city.


The initiative was led by the former governor of Hong Kong Chris Patten, and the former UK Foreign Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind. The list of signatories included ex-prime ministers, foreign secretaries, defence ministers, as well as legal and human rights experts and diplomats.

Lord Patten of Barnes said: “The statement shows growing and widespread international outrage at the decision by the Chinese government to unilaterally impose national security legislation in Hong Kong. The breadth of support, which spans all political parties and four continents, reflects both the severity of the situation and ongoing unified international support for the principle of one-country, two-systems.”


Ex-British foreign secretary and patron for NGO Hong Kong Watch, Sir Malcolm Rifkind said: “This is the most serious threat to the people of Hong Kong that there has been from the Chinese Government since 1997. The people of Hong Kong need, and deserve, our support.”

The statement in full:

We, the co-signed, write to express grave concerns about the unilateral introduction of national security legislation by Beijing in Hong Kong.

This is a comprehensive assault on the city’s autonomy, rule of law, and fundamental freedoms. The integrity of one-country, two-systems hangs by a thread.

It is the genuine grievances of ordinary Hong Kongers that are driving protests. Draconian laws will only escalate the situation further, jeopardising Hong Kong’s future as an open Chinese international city.

If the international community cannot trust Beijing to keep its word when it comes to Hong Kong, people will be reluctant to take its word on other matters. Sympathetic governments must unite to say that this flagrant breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration cannot be tolerated.

Signatories:


Rt. Hon Lord Patten of Barnes, former Governor of Hong Kong


Rt. Hon Sir Malcolm Rifkind, former Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary:

Canada

Members of Parliament

Kenny Chiu MP

Garnett Genius MP, Shadow Minister for Multiculturalism & Canada-China Relations

Erin O’Toole MP, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs

John Williamson MP

Members of the Senate

Senator Leo Housakos, former Speaker of the Senate

Senator Jim Munson

Senator Thanh Hai Ngo

Former Ministers

Irwin Colter, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General

David Kilgour, former Canadian Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific and former MP

Former Premiers

Bob Rae, former NDP Premier of Ontario and Federal Liberal MP

USA


Members of the Senate


Senator Benjamin L Cardin, Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business Committee


Senator Ted Cruz, Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee


Senator Edward J Markey, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy


Senator Robert Menendez, Ranking Member, Senate Foreign Relations Committee


Senator Marco Rubio, Acting Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee


Members of the House of Representatives


Congressman Robert B Aderholt


Congressman Ami Bera, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and Non-proliferation, House Foreign Affairs Committee


Congressman Eliot L Engel, Chairman of US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs


Congressman Mike Gallagher


Congressman Vicky Hartzler


Congressman Michael T McCaul, ranking member of US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs


Congressman James McGovern, co-chair of the Congressional Executive Commission on China


Congressman Adam B Schiff, Chairman of the US House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence


Congressman Adam Smith, Chairman of US House of Representatives Committee on Armed Services


Congressman Christopher Smith, former Chair of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee


Congressman Tom Suozzi


Congressman Ted Yoho, ranking member of the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and Non-proliferation, US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs


Former Ambassadors


Grover Joseph Rees, former USA Ambassador to East Timor


EU


Former EU Special Envoys


Jan Figel, former Deputy Prime Minister of Slovakia and EU Special Envoy for Promotion Freedom of Religion or Belief outside of the EU (2016-19)


Members of the European Parliament


Petras Austrevicuis MEP (Renew Europe, Lithuania)


Jose Ramon Bauza Diaz MEP (Renew Europe, Spain)


Francois-Xavier Bellamy MEP (European People’s Party, France)


Vladimír Bilčík MEP (European People’s Party, Slovakia)


Reinhard Buetikofer MEP (Greens, Germany)


Katalin Cseh MEP (Renew Europe, Hungary)


Pascal Durand MEP (Renew Europe, France)


Engin Eroglu MEP (Renew Europe, Germany)


Anna Fotyga MEP, (European Conservatives & Reformists) Poland former Foreign Secretary of Poland


Michael Gahler MEP (European People’s Party, Germany)


Evelyne Gebhardt MEP (Socialists & Democrats, Germany)


Markéta Gregorová MEP (Greens, Czech Republic)


Bernard Guetta MEP (Renew Europe, France)


Rasa Jukneviciene MEP, (European People’s Party, Lithuania) former Minister of Defence of Lithuania and former President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly


Eugen Jurzyca MEP (European Conservatives & Reformists, Slovakia)


Karin Karlsbro MEP


Moritz Körner MEP


Andrius Kubilius MEP (European People’s Party, Lithuania), former Prime Minister of Lithuania


Miriam Lexmann MEP (European People’s Party, Slovakia)


Javier Nart MEP (Renew Europe, Spain)


Lucia Ďuriš Nicholsonová MEP (European Conservatives & Reformists, Slovakia)


Urmas Paet MEP (Renew Europe, Estonia), former Foreign Secretary of Estonia


Peter Pollák MEP (European People’s Party, Slovakia)


Michaela Šojdrová MEP (European People’s Party, Czech Republic)


Ivan Štefanec MEP (European People’s Party, Slovakia)


Romana Tomc MEP (European People’s Party, Slovenia)


Hilde Vautmans MEP (Renew Europe, Belgium)


Guy Verhofstadt MEP (Renew Europe, Belgium), former Prime Minister of Belgium


Germany


Peter Heidt MP, Germany


Eckhard Gnodtke MP, Germany


Gyde Jensen MP, the Chair of the Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid Committee, Germany


Sweden


Joar Forssell MP, Sweden


Hampus Hagman MP, Sweden


David Josefsson MP, Sweden


Frederik Malm MP, Sweden


Lorentz Tovatt MP, Sweden


Denmark


Viggo Fischer MP, Denmark


Ireland


Senator Ronan Mullen


Lithuania


Mantas Adomenas MP


Arvydas Anusauskas MP


Audronius Azubalis MP, former Minister of Foreign Affairs


Laurynas Kasciunas MP


Gabrielius Landsbergis MP


Radvilė Morkunaite-Mikuleniene MP


Emanuelis Zingeris MP, Chair of the Subcommittee on Transatlantic Relations and Democratic Development


Žygimantas Pavilionis MP, former Ambassador of Lithuania to the United States of America


Slovakia


Members of Parliament


Alojz Baránik MP


Ján Benčík MP


Peter Cmorej MP


Ondrej Dostál MP


Gábor Grendel MP, Deputy Speaker


Jarmila Halgašová MP


Radovan Kazda MP


Miroslav Kollár MP


Vladimíra Marcinková MP


Peter Osuský MP


Peter Pollák MP


Juraj Šeliga MP, Deputy Speaker


Andrej Stančík MP


Romana Tabák MP


Marián Viskupič MP


Anna Zemanová MP


Miroslav Žiak MP


Jana Žitňanská MP


Former Member of Parliament


František Šebej, former MP and Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee,


Malaysia


Andrew Khoo, Advocate and Solicitor, High Court of Malaya in Malaysia, former Co-Chair of the Human Rights Committee, Bar Council Malaysia


Charles Santiago MP, Chair of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights


Myanmar


U Kyaw Min San, Member of the Bago Regional Parliament and former legal adviser to the International Commission of Jurists Office


South Korea


Jung-Hoon Lee, former Ambassador for Human Rights, South Korea


India


Dr John Dayal, former President of the All India Catholic Union and Member of the National Integration Council, India


Indonesia


Rafendi Djamin, former Representative of Indonesia to the ASEAN Inter-Governmental Commission on Human Rights, Indonesia


Yuyun Wahyuningrum, Representative of Indonesia to the ASEAN Inter-Governmental Commission on Human Rights, Indonesia


Australia


Members of Parliament


Kevin Andrews MP, Former Australian Defence Minister, Chairman of the Human Rights sub-committee of the Australian Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence, and Trade


Vicki Dunne MP


Andrew Hastie MP, Chairman of the Parliamentary Joint Committee for Intelligence and Security, Australia


Ian Goodenough MP


Peter Khalil MP, Member of the Joint Standing Committee Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade


Janelle Saffin MP


Dave Sharma MP, Member for Wentworth


Phillip Thompson MP, Member of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade


Tim Wilson MP


Members of the Senate


Senator Eric Abetz, former Leader of the Government in the Senate


Senator Alex Antic


Senator Slade Brockman, Senator for Western Australia


Senator Matthew Canavan, former Minister for Resources and Northern Australia


Senator Claire Chandler


Senator David Fawcett, Chair of the Joint Standing Committee Foreign Affairs, Defence, and Trade, former Assistant Minister for Defence


Senator Kimberley Kitching, Shadow Assistant Minister for Government Accountability and member of the Joint Standing Committee Foreign Affairs, Defence, and Trade


Senator Matthew O’Sullivan


Senator James Paterson


Senator Tony Sheldon


Senator Amanda Stoker


New Zealand


Simeon Brown MP


Marama Davidson MP, Coleader of the Green Party of Aotearoa/New Zealand


Simon O’Connor MP, Chair of the Foreign Affairs, Defence, and Trade Committee



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