John Cushnahan: Ireland is now in a position at UN to put pressure on China over Hong Kong

In the early hours of yesterday, the Hong Kong authorities again were the willing tools of its Chinese communist masters.
Pro-democratic party members shout slogans in response to the mass arrests during a press conference in Hong Kong yesterday, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. About 50 Hong Kong pro-democracy figures were arrested by police on Wednesday under a national security law (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)Pro-democratic party members shout slogans in response to the mass arrests during a press conference in Hong Kong yesterday, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. About 50 Hong Kong pro-democracy figures were arrested by police on Wednesday under a national security law (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
Pro-democratic party members shout slogans in response to the mass arrests during a press conference in Hong Kong yesterday, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. About 50 Hong Kong pro-democracy figures were arrested by police on Wednesday under a national security law (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

In the largest ever single arrest, over 50 pro–democracy legislators and activists were arrested and charged for subversion under the draconian National Security Law which had been imposed in July 2020 on Hong Kong by Beijing.

These laws override Hong Kong laws and judicial independence effectively ending Hong Kong’s autonomy.

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Freedom of speech, human rights, and the right to political dissent were early casualties. Among those arrested were former legislators, such as Lam Cheuk-ting, Eddie Chu Hoi-dick, Claudia Mo, James To, Gwyneth Ho, Alvin Yeung and Leung Kwok-Hung. Other people arrested were Professor of Law, Benny Tai, and American human rights lawyer, John Clancey.

The alleged pretext for the arrest of all these champions for democracy was that they had dared to campaign and make preparations for securing the election of a majority of pro-democracy legislators on Hong Kong’s Legislative Council which had been due to be held in September 2020. However, because such a prospect looked likely at the time, the elections were postponed for a year by the Hong Kong government.

These arrests had been preceded in December 2020 by the jailing of leaders of the democracy protest movement, Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow and Ivan Lam followed by the arrest of Hong Kong media tycoon, Jimmy Lai, who is the owner of the Hong Kong newspaper, Apple Daily, and approximately thirty others who were all charged with breaching the National Security Law and who are being detained without any real prospect of being released on bail.

China’s objective in all its actions is that after having effectively stripped Hong Kong’s Legislative Council of any democratic legitimacy, it has now turned its attention to crippling and destroying the Democracy Protest movement.

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Because the international community has been largely distracted by the Covid 19 crisis, the controversial U. S. Presidential election and the EU-UK Brexit negotiations, there has been an insufficient and uncoordinated response to China’s unacceptable behaviour by the major powers.

Another factor has been that some of these countries also prefer to give priority to their short-sighted trading interests with China over their commitment to universal human rights values in light of the plight of Hong Kong citizens, and indeed their own long-term economic interests. This has to change before it is too late.

With the Brexit negotiations having concluded and the US Presidential election also close to reaching finality, the Irish Government is now in a unique position to help change things. The opportunity is presented by the fact that on January 1st we took up our seat on the UN Security Council.

When we secured election to this prestigious post in June 2020, the then Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, promised that “we will use our presence to advance the causes we have championed – peace and security, conflict resolution, reconciliation……”

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Membership of the Security Council includes countries such as the UK and China who were co-signatories to the Sino- British treaty which established the “one country two systems” in Hong Kong. It also includes the United States soon to be led by our Presidential “friend of Ireland”. Furthermore, under the UN Charter “Chapter 6) the role of the Security Council includes among other things:-

The UN Security Council are authorised to investigate a dispute which may lead to an international friction, or is likely to endanger international peace and security.

Should a dispute endanger international peace or security, the UN Security Council may recommend terms of settlement of the dispute

Now is an opportune time to put our credentials to the test by persuading our fellow members of the UN Security Council to explore these two options.

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• John Cushnahan is a former Alliance Party leader, Fine Gael MEP and European Parliament Rapporteur on Hong Kong from 1997 to 2004

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