The world must do more to fight China’s crackdown in Hong Kong, said self-exiled activist Nathan Law after the mass arrest of pro-democracy figures under the national security law.

“What we need for the people of Hong Kong, and democracy in general, is the determination to put human rights above trade interests,” Law wrote in an op-ed for the Washington Post. “We need concrete policies that hold the authoritarian CCP accountable.”

The former lawmaker had participated in the pro-democracy primary last year before he went into self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom. The police have accused the 53 people arrested of being in an “evil plot” to paralyze the Hong Kong government.

The mass arrests showed “Beijing is not afraid of showing its teeth and acting like a thug,” and it would not stop until it has eliminated all opposing voices in Hong Kong, Law said.

The government’s claim — that the democrats’ primary to gain a majority in the legislature and veto the budget constituted a subversive act — was absurd, Law said.

“What was once a constitutional power and right exercised by legislators is now a crime, with a maximum penalty of lifelong imprisonment,” he said.

He highlighted the arrest of Jeffrey Andrews, the first ethnic minority to become a social worker in Hong Kong, saying that he did not advocate any sabotage of national security law. His platform surrounded racial harmony and dialogue with the government, Law said, but it still led to his arrest.

The international community’s inaction was one of the main reasons that Beijing “unashamedly dared to tear off the mask of promises it had given to Hong Kong,” Law argued. Many democratic countries turned a blind eye to China’s human rights records due to its growing economy, he accused.

Although the European Union and the German foreign minister urged for the release of the 53 accused, Hong Kong people had seen enough of such lip service, as the EU signed the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment with China just a few days earlier. This came after Beijing gave an “empty promise” on handling forced labor in Xinjiang, Law said.

Law urged countries to put human rights above trade, and the European Parliament should reject the deal to demonstrate leadership in fighting authoritarianism. The incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden should work with Europe to combat China’s authoritarian expansion, as well as public health and climate change, he said.

Click here for Chinese version

---------------------------------

Apple Daily’s all-new English Edition is now available on the mobile app: bit.ly/2yMMfQE

To download the latest version,

iOS: bit.ly/AD_iOS

Android: bit.ly/AD_android

Or search Appledaily in App Store or Google Play