Hong Kong government denounces ‘slander’ in US report downgrading city’s religious freedom
- City authorities say enforcement action ‘strictly in accordance with the law’ after US report cites evidence of self-censorship by churches
The Hong Kong government has hit out at a US report on religious freedom that downgraded the city’s freedom of expression and belief.
Authorities said on Saturday that they “rejected the slandering remarks” in the US State Department’s Report on International Religious Freedom, which downgraded the city’s rating “due to evidence that the broader crackdown on dissent has prompted some churches to self-censor sermons and curtail other religious activities”.
Religious groups in Hong Kong faced government retaliation for participating in social movements, according to the report published on Wednesday.
The report cited a paper by the US non-governmental organisation Freedom House, which downgraded Hong Kong’s freedom of expression and belief rating from the highest score 4 in 2022 to 3 in 2023.
Each jurisdiction is awarded zero to 4 points for different rights indicators.
The report said the Falun Gong spiritual movement faced counterdemonstrations and harassment by groups with ties to the Chinese Communist Party, while the Hong Kong Taoist Association cancelled a scheduled parade after their request to hold the event was not approved.
The report also noted that Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-Kiun, the former Catholic bishop of Hong Kong and an “outspoken defender of civil rights”, was still pending trial on suspicions of collusion with foreign forces.