SFT expresses solidarity with Hongkongers, condemns China for imposing new draconian security law in Hong Kong

DHARAMSALA, 4 July: Students for a Free Tibet-India held a solidarity protest today to express their solidarity with the people of Hong Kong and to strongly condemn China for imposing the controversial national security law in Hong Kong.

“We, Students For a Free Tibet- India, stand in solidarity with the people of Hong Kong as they confront the immediate threat to their freedoms and autonomy with the imposition of a new draconian national security law,” SFT stated in its press release.

The activist group called the new law “an attack on freedom in Hong Kong as the Chinese Communist Party attempts to take full control over the territory,” and likened the legislation to the law with vague terms frequently employed by the regime to crack down on peaceful dissent in Tibet, East Turkestan, Southern Mongolia and mainland China.

“This law marks an end to the current ‘One Country, Two Systems’ in Hong Kong,” the statement read.

“We stand in solidarity with all those protesting in Hong Kong right now. Xi Jinping, and leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, have failed to quash the aspirations of the people of Hong Kong. Tibet, East Turkestan, Southern Mongolia and China for democracy and liberty,” said SFT-India Director Rinzin Choedon.

She further pointed out that “China’s failure to honour its commitment to the ‘One-country, Two-systems’ agreement has today awakened a whole new generation of Hongkongers striving for a truly democratic society,” and that the Tibetans and Hongkongers alike share  a common desire for basic human rights like millions around the world and added that “our collective resistance will endure until we are all free from Chinese Communist regime.”

The activist group further cautioned Beijing over their timing over the imposition of the new law and stressed that t reflects China’s “ambition to further clamp down on pro-democracy activists ahead of elections in Hong Kong in September, accelerate further oppression.”

“We cannot allow Beijing to destroy Hong Kong’s precious rights, rather they must protect the legally guaranteed freedoms of the people,” said Gyaltsen,  Campaigns Director of SFT-India.

He condemned the Chinese regime for imposing the draconian law on Hongkongers without their consent, called out China for violating binding international legal obligations under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration  and concluded by urging governments around the world “to take immediate multilateral action to defend the rights of the people of Hong Kong.”

SFT, at their solidarity campaign held at the main square here in Mcleod Ganj,  the exile headquarter of the Tibetan people called on the governments around the world to “make formal démarches to the Chinese Authorities, and Hong Kong SAR authorities,” “Beijing to respect all obligations under both customary international law and treaty law, in particular, the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”

The NGO called on “the UK  government, the co-signatory to the Joint Declaration, to take concrete steps to ensure the effective implementation of treaty obligations, including invoking any remedies under international treaty law.”

And the United Nation Member States to immediately support an urgent special Human Rights Council session on China and establish a new UN mechanism to monitor and investigate the human rights situation in China, Tibet, Hong Kong and East Turkestan.

The statement concluded with the DFT urging the UN member States to prepare to vote ‘no’ to China’s election bid to the Human Rights Council in October 2020 in light of China’s consistent failure to meet the minimum standards for membership and to press China to allow full and unfettered access for independent human rights monitors to all areas under Chinese control, including as requested by OHCHR and Special Procedures.