The news yesterday from protests in Hong Kong is extremely worrying and demands a response from UK parliamentarians. This concerns not just the welfare of an 18-year-old, shot in the chest at close range by the police, but also the future of democracy in a country whose history is closely linked with the UK’s.
The immediate events leading up to the shooting, and whether the police officer acted in self-defence, will need to be examined in detail. Nonetheless my thoughts, as a parent of two sons, are with the family holding vigil at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei.
There has been a tragic escalation of tensions, and Hong Kong has become a tinder box. The explosion of anger today should be condemned, but it is the result of the brutal actions of the authorities to what were initially peaceful protests. It is particularly worrying to see credible reports that China has doubled the number of troops in Hong Kong to 12,000.
The root causes are of course nuanced and complex, and the UK must share some responsibility.
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