UK has a responsibility to protect democracy in Hong Kong

Alistair Carmichael MP has today warned that the Conservative Government’s inaction on the guilty verdict handed to the ‘Umbrella Nine’ in Hong Kong is an insult to all those in the region. Alistair Carmichael used an Urgent Question in the House of Commons today to The nine activists could be sentenced for up to seven years. They were found guilty on rarely used colonial-era public nuisance charges. Speaking after the Urgent Question, Alistair Carmichael MP said: “Many in Hong Kong rightly look to the UK for protection and support for their continued autonomy and progression towards democracy. This guilty verdict and the Conservative Government’s inaction is the latest insult to those people. “Under the ‘one country, two systems’ framework, the UK has a legal and moral responsibility to ensure that Beijing does not undermine freedom of expression and human rights in Hong Kong. “It is appalling that the Conservative Government have increasingly turned a blind-eye to this duty. Their silence is inexcusable. Liberal Democrats demand better.  “Beijing must stop its increasing disregard for the Basic Law in the region and the UK must do all it can to uphold our end of the bargain by standing up to any violations of Hong Kong’s democracy and freedom of expression.”  urge the Conservative Government to appeal against the guilty verdict handed to nine activists involved in the peaceful 2014 "umbrella" pro-democracy protests.