Hong Kong vows protecting human rights in city, rejects ‘unfounded’ UN claims

The working group on the Universal Periodic Review of the UNHRC examined a report submitted by mainland China in January and subsequently adopted a review report on Thursday, which covered 428 recommendations raised by the United Nations member states including 24 pertaining to Hong Kong.

A spokesman for the Hong Kong government said the city took a steadfast participation in the review, where many countries spoke “highly of China’s human rights progress and fully acknowledged China’s efforts and historic achievements in advancing and protecting human rights”.

“Hong Kong authorities have actively responded to the views and suggestions about the human rights situation of [the city] from some countries, and sternly rebutted the unfounded and untrue remarks from a small number of countries,” the spokesman said.

In April, the US’s latest human rights report accused Beijing of continuing to “dismantle” Hong Kong’s political freedoms and autonomy in violation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law.

The report highlighted authorities’ enforcement of the 2020 national security law, including its retroactive application and the denial of bail to activists in national security cases.

The State Department report, which assesses about 200 countries and territories based on standards enshrined in international human-rights agreements, contained an extensive catalogue of China’s alleged violations, as it has for several decades.

But Beijing accused the US of using the report to smear the reality of conditions in Hong Kong, saying Washington should stop “lying” and meddling in local and national affairs while firmly opposing the report.

It also accused the US for pointing fingers at other countries’ human rights situation while disregarding significant issues such as racial discrimination, widespread gun violence, police brutality and wealth disparity within its borders.