Sir, – I was delighted that the European Parliament overwhelmingly passed a joint-resolution strongly condemning China’s continuing destruction of Hong Kong’s human rights and freedoms, especially China’s latest actions resulting in the closure of the pro-democracy newspaper, the Apple Daily, and the arrest of journalists under draconian security laws.
The resolution calls on the EU commission and member states to take concrete actions to respond to China’s treatment of Hong Kong, including travel bans and asset freezes on Hong Kong officials, the introduction of a lifeboat scheme for Hong Kong citizens and the issuing of emergency travel documents for journalists, EU support for the creation of a UN envoy for Hong Kong, and the suspension of extradition treaties between EU states and China.
Most importantly, MEP’s reiterated that they would continue to block ratification of the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment and called for extending the scope of the European Endowment for Democracy to projects in South-East Asia to support civil society and media, the expansion of Erasmus places in Europe for Hong Kong citizens, and for member states to reach out to EU-based banks to release assets belonging to Hong Kong pro-democracy activists.
The Irish Government following its principled stances on the Middle East, Belarus and Tigray should follow the parliament’s lead and ask the UK government to join with them in raising these issues in the UN Security Council. – Yours, etc,
JOHN CUSHNAHAN,
Former European
Parliament rapapporteur
on Hong Kong,
Limerick.