China terms Hong Kong bar association head 'anti-China politician' for defending protests

China’s top office in Hong Kong has mounted attacks against the former British colony’s bar association chairman Paul Harris for defending the pro-democracy demonstrations of 2019 and termed him an “anti-China politician.” As per the news agency ANI report, China’s liaison office said that “It makes a mockery of the Bar Association by condoning Paul Harris to continue chairing the group." The statement came after Harris defended the right to peaceful protests after 10 people, including newspaper mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-Ying.

"How could such an anti-China politician as Paul Harris who has close connections with foreign countries fulfil the principles of safeguarding Hong Kong's rule of law and the Basic Law and support the one country, two systems principle as previously stated by the Bar Association?" a spokesman for Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong said on Sunday as per ANI.

The liaison office also further questioned Harris’ loyalty to Hong Kong considering his association with a foreign organisation. However, the Hong Kong bar association head has categorically denied the charges as the liaison office asked the Bar Association whether it wanted Harris to continue his job as chairman while calling for it to refrain from the “path of politicisation” or it risked going down an “abyss.”

Harris noted HK court’s terms for protests

Beijing’s top office in Hong Kong targetted Harris after his remarks made during an interview with news website Stan News last week when he acknowledged the Hong Kong court’s convictions over the August 18 and 31 demonstrations that also marked the first time that a city court had imposed jail terms for illegal assembly. Harris also argued that peaceful demonstrations were a legal and valuable channel for citizens to express their disagreement. If not, he warned that people could turn into more destructive actions.

Irked by the statement, the liaison office spokesperson reportedly also accused Harris of ignoring the repeated violence during the nationwide demonstrations over the now-withdrawn extradition bill. According to the official of Beijing’s top office in Hong Kong, the city’s Bar Association head used the phrase “peaceful demonstrations” to “conceal and whitewash their illegal nature, openly excuse the offenders, unreasonably accuse the court while attacking the Hong Kong government and law enforcement for trying to maintain order, reported South China Morning Post.

Image credits: AP