The U.S. Secretary of State and foreign ministers of the U.K., Canada and Australia expressed their “serious concern” about the arrest of 55 politicians and activists in Hong Kong, the governments said in a joint statement.
Hong Kong’s National Security Law, under which the arrests were made, is a breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration and undermines the “one country, two systems” framework, according to the statement.
The legislation“has curtailed the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong. It is clear that the National Security Law is being used to eliminate dissent and opposing political views,” the governments said.
“We call on the Hong Kong and Chinese central authorities to respect the legally guaranteed rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong without fear of arrest and detention,” the officials said in the statement.
“It is crucial that the postponed Legislative Council elections in September proceed in a fair way that includes candidates representing a range of political opinions,” they said.
