Human Rights Watch chief Kenneth Roth says barring him from Hong Kong is ‘sad and troubling’ reflection of Beijing pressure
- The group’s executive director said immigration officials at the airport refused him entry to Hong Kong without explanation
- Roth plans to unveil human rights report, which is highly critical of China, in New York instead, as city officials refuse to comment on case
The head of Human Rights Watch who was barred from entering Hong Kong said on Monday he was saddened at how the city had deteriorated under pressure from Beijing, as he vowed to unveil his report in New York instead.
Kenneth Roth, the group’s executive director and an American citizen, returned to the United States after Hong Kong immigration authorities turned him away at the city's international airport on Sunday without explanation, according to the organisation.
He had planned to visit the city to launch the New York-based group’s “World Report 2020”, which includes a lead essay on the Chinese government’s “assault” on the international human rights system.
An Immigration Department spokeswoman said it would not comment on individual cases.
She added that when handling cases, the department would, in accordance with the laws and immigration policies, fully consider all relevant factors and circumstances of the case before deciding whether the entry should be allowed or not.
Roth said: “I had hoped to spotlight Beijing’s deepening assault on international efforts to uphold human rights. The refusal to let me enter Hong Kong vividly illustrates the problem.”
Roth, who had flown in from New York, later wrote on Twitter: “Despite my probing, the Hong Kong immigration authorities would say only (and repeatedly) that they were barring me for ‘immigration reasons’. They wouldn’t even own up to the real reason.”
“It's sad and troubling how quickly things have deteriorated under pressure from Beijing,” he added.