This Nov 17, 2016 photo shows the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Central. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)
HONG KONG – The Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Sunday expressed strong disapproval and firm opposition to the interference by some foreign politicians with judicial proceedings in the HKSAR.
In a statement, a spokesman for the office said interference with HKSAR court proceedings trampled upon both the rule of law of Hong Kong and international law.
In a statement, a spokesman for the Commissioenr's Office said interference in HKSAR court proceedings trampled upon both the rule of law of Hong Kong and international law
The office issued the statement after some politicians in the US, the UK and the European Union made groundless accusations against the sentencing of Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, Martin Lee Chu-ming and several others by the Hong Kong judiciary and clamored for the release of them.
The spokesperson said that Hong Kong is governed by the rule of law, and it is based on solid evidence and with a completely legitimate and transparent procedure that the Hong Kong judiciary has sentenced the accused to prison for organizing and participating in unauthorized and unlawful assembly.
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“Some interfering foreign forces who pay lip service to the rule of law, however, have kept glorifying the criminals as ‘democracy fighters’, tried to obstruct the judicial proceedings, and put political manipulation above the law of the HKSAR,” the spokesperson said.
“While claiming to ‘stand with the Hong Kong people’, they have shown total disregard for the popular will in Hong Kong and acted against the people by repeatedly undermining the rule of law and prosperity and stability in the city,” the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson also said that these self-proclaimed “champions of international rules” have once and again meddled with Hong Kong affairs, “which are China’s internal affairs, in violation of international law and basic norms governing international relations,” and “laying bare their double standards and selective application of international rules based solely on their self-interest.”
The spokesperson emphasized that the essence of the rule of law is that laws shall be strictly abided by, that any lawbreaker shall be held accountable, and that no one shall be above the law.
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“We urge the relevant countries to abide by the principle of non-interference in international law and other basic norms governing international relations, earnestly respect the rule of law, and shake off hypocrisy and double standards,” the spokesperson said.
“We urge them to stop condoning and whitewashing criminals, stop undermining Hong Kong’s rule of law and judicial independence, and stop interfering with Hong Kong affairs and China’s internal affairs as a whole. Be sure of this: any interference or pressure is doomed to be futile and only self-defeating,” the spokesperson added.