Letter to BBC

The Editor
British Broadcasting Corporation

Dear Editor,
 
We strongly oppose and condemn your unfounded and fact-twisting article “The A-level student who became an enemy of the Chinese state” (February 16).

We are also extremely appalled that you have chosen not to include the response of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government in the article despite your enquiry on this topic, thus depriving your readers of their right to the truth. It is disappointing that the BBC would allow publication of such a biased article.

Endangering national security is a very serious crime in any jurisdiction. No government would allow the acts and activities by any person or entity that endanger national security to go unpunished.   The wanted persons, including Chloe Cheung Hei-ching, who have fled overseas to escape justice, are suspected of continuing to commit offences under the Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL).
 
We wish to emphasise that the NSL clearly stipulates that human rights shall be respected and protected in safeguarding national security in the HKSAR, and that the rights and freedoms that Hong Kong residents enjoy under the Basic Law and the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as applied to Hong Kong, shall be protected in accordance with the law.
 
The HKSAR law enforcement agencies always take law enforcement actions based on evidence and strictly in accordance with the law in respect of the acts of the persons or entities concerned, which have nothing to do with their political stance, background or occupation. 
 
The HKSAR Government will exhaust all means to pursue and combat criminals absconding overseas and endangering national security, ensuring that violations of the law will be pursued regardless of distance.  We urge the wanted persons to return to Hong Kong and surrender to the authorities so that they may have their day in court. We also reject any attempt by external forces to undermine Hong Kong in a way that threatens our country's national security.

Tang Ping-keung
Secretary for Security
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region