China accuses US of 'blackmailing' Hong Kong government

-

US says hard to assess level of autonomy in Hong Kong after recent incidents, including arrest of veteran politicians.

    The US says Hong Kong's treatment of pro-democracy activists raises questions about its level of autonomy [Tyrone Siu/Reuters]
The US says Hong Kong's treatment of pro-democracy activists raises questions about its level of autonomy
China has accused US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of "blackmailing" the Hong Kong government with the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, saying on Thursday the US administration's recent actions amounted to blatant interference in China's internal affairs.
Pompeo said on Wednesday the recent treatment of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong made it harder to assess whether the territory remains highly autonomous from China, a requirement for the special treatment afforded to the city under American law.
A spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry's office of the commissioner to Hong Kong said in a statement that Pompeo's actions could not scare the Chinese people and that Beijing would safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests.
Hong Kong has been governed under "one country, two systems" since it was returned to China in 1997. The framework affords the territory freedoms that are not allowed anywhere else on the mainland, but concerns that those freedoms are being curtailed has helped fuel.
Mass protests that began last year over a now-abandoned extradition bill - which would have allowed suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial - have begun to re-emerge in recent weeks as physical distancing measures imposed as a result of the coronavirus have been relaxed.
But pro-democracy groups remain under pressure, with 15 people, including veteran politicians, a publishing tycoon and senior lawyers, arrested in April in a move that drew condemnation from the United States, Europe and international rights groups.
They were formally charged under colonial-era laws on Monday with organising and attending the protests, with five people facing more serious charges that carry a penalty of as many as five years in prison.
Pompeo said a congressionally-mandated State Department assessment of the territory's autonomy was still pending.
"We are closely watching what's going on there," he told a news conference.
"Leading Hong Kong activists like Martin Lee and Jimmy Lai were hauled into court. Actions like these make it more difficult to assess that Hong Kong remains highly autonomous from mainland China."
China has regularly dismissed popular discontent in Hong Kong claiming instead that foreigners are behind the rallies.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

Popular posts from this blog

Petitioner-SARS officers threw me from two-storey building, broke my backbone

-
Image
A 34 year old general merchant, Mr Ndukwe Ekekwe, Tuesday, told the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Enquiry and Restitution for Victims of Special Ant-Robbery Squad (SARS) related abuses and other matters, that he broke his backbone after SAR officers threw him down from a two-storey building which resulted in him being confined in a wheelchair. Ekekwe told the panel that on February 16, 2018, he was at his shop at Alaba Rago, in Alaba International market, when he was arrested, by men of SARS, who handcuffed him. When he asked them to show their identification card, and that he wanted to know his offence, they started shooting and told him that the order was from the Inspector General (IG)of Police. The petitioner, who said he sells phone accessories and other things, said when he was arrested, he was trying to raise alarm, so that other people can see what was happening. The SARS operatives then called one Haruna Amaz and he told them to keep me busy. That was when they pushed me upsta
Read more

What COVID-19 reveals about educational inequality in Ghana

-
Image
The coronavirus pandemic has exposed stark inequalities in Ghana's educational system. Pupils gather around their teacher in class in Prestea, a mining town in southwest Ghana  Kwabena Opoku-Agyemang, a lecturer at the University of Ghana, is looking for new ways to carry on teaching his students. He has no other choice. Ever since Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo ordered last month the indefinite closure of all schools to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, many of the country's higher educational institutions began exploring options in online learning. "I plan to use WhatsApp and Zoom to make the classes more interactive," said Opoku-Agyemang, who teaches literature courses at the Accra-based university's Department of English. "I will also be having guest artists and guest lecturers join in. The artists will use Instagram Live, while the guest lecturers will probably use Zoom." Yet, it won't
Read more