The current event discussed in this paper is about a story that appeared on Human Rights Watch on March 27, 2020. The article is about the arrest of district councilor Cheng Lai-king on March 26, 2020, after being accused of seditious intent. According to the article, Cheng is a pro-democracy champion, and she has been vocal about the blatant violation of human rights in Hong Kong as the country continues to battle widespread protests (Hong Kong: Dubious Arrest,” 2020). Since 2019, protestors in the country have been occupying streets complaining about the introduction of a bill that would facilitate the extradition of criminals to Mainland China. The police have been accused of using excessive force and violating human rights in the process of dealing with the protestors.
The specific incident surrounding the arrest of Cheng is linked to her quest to compel the police to take responsibility for its actions. On March 24, 2020, through her Facebook page, she posted the name of a police officer who shot a journalist in the eye during the September 2019 protests in Wanchai. The journalist, Veby Mega Indah, was covering news for the Suara Hong Kong News when she was shot in the eye leading to permanent damage. Veby has been trying to push for the private prosecution of the policeman without success. First, she is required to provide the details of the individual, but the government has refused to share such information with her. At the time of the incident, the police were masked, and his police unique identification number was concealed.
Cheng learned that Veby was about to miss the deadline for the private prosecution of the responsible person for the shooting because she did not have the required information about him. On March 24, 2020, netizens shared the name of the officer through a Telegram group, where Cheng picked it and shared it on her Facebook page. After her arrest, the police said that Cheng was held on the grounds of sharing personal information on social media, thus inciting violence and hatred.
According to the article, the last time seditious intent was evoked as a crime in Hong Kong was in 1952 when the colonial government used it to accuse and prosecute Ta Kung Pao, a pro-Beijing newspaper (“Hong Kong: Dubious Arrest,” 2020). The article notes that Hong Kong authorities, which are closely linked to Mainland China, have intensified actions against pro-democracy movements in the country since December last year. Some of the actions taken against these movements include freezing of bank accounts of donors and dubious arrest of pro-democracy supporters and media owners among other related practices.
The unwarranted arrest of Cheng is important to the global community because it borders on the abuse of human rights. Despite the nature of governance in any given country, governments have the moral and legal obligation to protect human rights under The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This declaration, which was made on December 10, 1948, during the UN General Assembly in Paris, stipulates the fundamental human rights that should be protected universally regardless of place and time. Therefore, violation of human rights in one country amounts to a violation of human rights all over the world because all people are equal, and they should be protected under this universally proclaimed provision.
The world should step in and protect people in Hong Kong from the blatant violation of human rights as they agitate for democracy in their country. Diplomatically, world governments should compel the UN, through its High Commissioner on Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, to publicly condemn and denounce the Hong Kong government for the continued violation of human rights, specifically when dealing with protestors. People in Hong Kong should enjoy the freedom of expression and assembly with the police force protecting them as opposed to assaulting and arresting them without upholding human rights. The High Commissioner is mandated to promote and protect the effective “enjoyment by all of all human rights…play an active role in removing the current obstacles and in meeting the challenges to the full realization of all human rights and in preventing the continuation of human rights violations throughout the world” (The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2005, p. 2). Therefore, the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights should exercise its mandate and protect protestors in Hong Kong from the repressive forces of the government and players in Mainland China.
The article is neutral, as the author avoids subjective claims and remains objective in the arguments made therein. The article’s tone is neutral as the author presents facts about the arrest of Cheng. The author also gives sufficient background information concerning the events surrounding the said arrest for the reader to contextualize claims made in the article. In conclusion, the arrest of Cheng is regrettable given the issues associated with her alleged intent to cause violence and hatred. At the center of the issue is the deliberate shooting of Veby in the course of executing her duties as a journalist. The UN Commissioner for Human Rights should step in and use her mandate to ensure that the government in Hong Kong protects human rights.
References
Hong Kong: Dubious Arrest of Pro-Democracy Politician. (2020). Human Rights Watch. Web.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. (2005). The OHCHR plan of action: Protection and empowerment. Web.