Hong Kong politicians accused of benefiting from ‘protections and freedoms’ in West over property portfolios
- A number of the city’s most senior officials have declared property holdings in countries including Britain and the US
- The vocal supporters of the National Security Law and ‘patriots-only’ legislature are hypocrites, according to advocacy group Hong Kong Watch
A series of leading Hong Kong officials have been accused of hypocrisy for owning overseas properties while advocating a “patriots-only” legislature in the city.
A new report by Hong Kong Watch, a British-based advocacy group, found that nine Hong Kong officials and 12 members of Hong Kong’s legislature have property overseas including in Britain, Canada, the United States, Australia, Japan and France.
The authors accused those named of benefiting from the “freedoms and protections” offered in overseas jurisdictions while overseeing a crackdown on basic rights in Hong Kong.
Those named have been vocal supporters of the national security law, which was imposed on June 30, 2020, and has led to the jailing of more than 700 pro-democracy activists, the disbanding of dozens of civil society organisations and the closure of multiple media outlets.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that the law “systematically undermined Hong Kong’s democratic institutions”.