Henry Ho Kin-chung, a scholar from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and council member of the United Nations Association of China, told the 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council that the international legal community has developed a renewed and more objective view of Hong Kong’s rule of law.
The UN Human Rights Council session is currently being held in Geneva, Switzerland, running from June 15 to July 7.
“We urge the international community to support Hong Kong judges and say no to the bullying and illegal sanctions of the United States,” said Ho.
This call was a strike back against the groundless accusations made by some Western politicians and legal practitioners concerning the Hong Kong SAR’s national security legislation in recent years, and against the sanctions threats directed at Hong Kong judges and prosecutors handling national security cases.
“I am pleased to see that our international peers are gaining a renewed, evidence-based assessment to our rule of law,” Ho said.
Ho emphasized that the Hong Kong SAR’s national security laws protect the rights of everyone, including the accused.
He said he has great confidence in Hong Kong’s rule of law, and cited Claudio Visco, president of the International Bar Association, who — when he attended the opening of the Legal Year of Hong Kong in January — said: “Hong Kong has a strong tradition of the rule of law … and the city managed the complicated period of transition following enactment of the two pieces of national security legislation, in a constructive way.”
Ho said he has confidence that the international community will continue to support Hong Kong SAR judges as they continue to perform their duties impartially. “Without fear or favor,” he added.
Roys Zhang also contributed to the story.