Beijing hits out at foreign critics of Hong Kong court’s conviction of Stand News editors
But legal scholar Johannes Chan, former law dean of University of Hong Kong, says ruling will pose challenge to commentary writers
Beijing and the Hong Kong government have demanded that foreign officials stop defending two editors convicted of publishing seditious articles in the city, even as a former law academic said the court’s judgment presented challenges to writers and producers of commentaries.
They are former editor-in-chief of Stand News Chung Pui-kuen, 54, and ex-acting editor-in-chief Patrick Lam Shiu-tung, 36.
A spokesman for the Chinese embassy in the United Kingdom said Hong Kong was a society governed by the rule of law, and its laws protected freedom of press and speech while duly punishing criminals.
“This is the proper meaning of the rule of law. It is completely inappropriate and unacceptable for British officials to defend those suspected of committing crimes, and make arbitrary comments on the hearing of criminal cases in Hong Kong courts,” he said, adding the UK should stop interfering in China’s internal affairs and the exercise of the rule of law in Hong Kong.
The spokesman was responding to remarks by Britain’s Indo-Pacific minister Catherine West, who defended the two editors on social media.