The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council on Friday condemned some foreign politicians for labeling a justified court ruling in Hong Kong as “political suppression” and “an attack on freedom of speech”.
Such remarks are “utterly ridiculous and unreasonable”, a blatant interference in Hong Kong’s rule of law and judicial independence, and should be stopped, the office said in the statement.
The statement came after politicians from countries including the United States and the United Kingdom commented on sentences given to activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung and his two associates.
READ MORE: Joshua Wong pleads guilty to illegal assembly, in custody
Wong on Wednesday was sentenced to 13 and a half months behind bars for his role in last year’s 15-hour siege of the Hong Kong Police Headquarters on June 21, while Agnes Chow Ting and Ivan Lam Long-yin received 10-month and seven-month sentences respectively for the same incident.
Politicians who can’t wait to help the trio (Joshua Wong and his two associates) be absolved of guilt show their real intention: to destabilize Hong Kong rather than to protect the city’s freedom and democracy, the HKMAO spokesperson said
The court passed down the sentencings in accordance with the law and based on sufficient evidence. The trio pleaded guilty to the charges including incitement prior to the sentencing, the spokesperson said.
While the sentencing is considered by local residents as a way to safeguard public interest and prevent youngsters from breaking laws, a few foreign politicians purposely glorified the trio as “democracy-fighters” and even threatened to impose sanctions, the spokesperson pointed out, saying such remarks and acts are “ridiculous” and “rude”.
The trio earlier set up radical groups to promote separatism advocacy, and took a leading role in illegal assemblies and various social activities, such as the illegal Occupy Movement in 2014, and last year’s Extradition Bill Incident. Wong had served time for different charges related to his roles in unlawful protests and assemblies.
During last year’s social unrest triggered by the now-withdrawn extradition bill, they publicly demanded foreign countries to sanction Hong Kong and encouraged students to break laws for political goals, the spokesperson said in the statement.
In fact, they are culprits who damaged the city’s stability and prosperity and are puppets used by foreign “anti-China” forces, the spokesperson said.
These politicians who can’t wait to help the trio be absolved of guilt show their real intention: to destabilize Hong Kong rather than to protect the city’s freedom and democracy, the spokesperson said.
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Any attempt by foreign and external forces to pressure the central government and the special administrative region government to give up upholding the rule of law is fanciful and beyond their means, the spokesperson continued.
The rule of law must not be violated and lawlessness must be punished, the spokesperson stressed.
The office warned these politicians to immediately stop their wrong acts, which support “anti-China” forces and those who attempt to destabilize Hong Kong.
