EU slams China for changing Hong Kong's electoral system, says NSL 'stifles dissent'

As several nations unite to denounce China’s sweeping changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system, the European Union (EU) on March 12 lashed out on Beijing for the clampdown on the financial capital terming it “alarming political deterioration" and a "severe erosion of autonomy, democracy and fundamental freedoms". In the annual report, the 27-nation-bloc hit out at China for increasing clampdown on Hong Kong’s anti-Bejing voices and called it the “chilling effect on the exercise of protected rights and freedoms” enforced under the controversial security law introduced last year and a hike in “self-censorship in the media, academia and civil society".

"The wide-ranging nature of the National Security Law (NSL) offences, and the uncertainties over how they will be applied, have provoked serious concerns and have had a chilling effect on the exercise of protected rights and freedoms in Hong Kong. While there has been little overt censorship in response to the NSL, and no pro-democracy publications have faced outright closure, the trend towards self-censorship in the media, academia and civil society has accelerated," the EU report read.

Further, the European Union representative Josep Borrell also said in a statement that over the course of last year, the bloc has witnessed an “alarming political deterioration in Hong Kong.” China’s national legislature last year had approved the national security law to crackdown the pro-democracy forces in the former Britsih colony. However, this year, on Thursday afternoon, China’s national legislature has approved a resolution to drastically overpower Hong Kong’s electoral system in a bid to ensure that only “patriots” can rule the city.

Borell said, “The National Security Law imposed by Beijing is being used to crack down on pro-democracy forces, stifle dissent and pluralism, and erode fundamental freedoms."

“The arrest of dozens of pro-democracy activists in January this year confirmed that this trend is accelerating. China is consciously dismantling the 'One Country, Two Systems' principle in violation of its international commitments and the Hong Kong Basic Law. The regressive electoral changes approved yesterday in Beijing are yet another step down this path," he added.

US Blasts China For Shaking-up Hong Kong Electoral System

On March 11, the United States condemned China’s approval of sweeping changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system and accused Beijing of stifling democracy in the financial capital. China’s national legislature has approved a resolution to drastically overpower Hong Kong’s electoral system in a bid to ensure that only “patriots” can rule the city. On Thursday afternoon, the National People’s Congress (NPC) passed the resolution which is also the biggest shake-up to Hong Kong’s electoral system reportedly since its return to China in 1997 under ‘One Country, Two Systems’ arrangements.