Activist Law wins pledge from British minister

British Home Secretary Priti Patel has pledged to protect and uphold freedoms of Hongkongers at a London meeting with exiled activist Nathan Law Kwun-chung.

The meeting on Wednesday was described as the first between Law and the British government since the former lawmaker arrived in Britain in July before the introduction of the national security law.

Patel expressed her regrets that Beijing imposed a security law on Hong Kong which she said it is a blatant breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

"The United Kingdom will stand by the people of Hong Kong and keep our promise to protect and uphold their freedoms," Patel said.

She said Britain is planning to further relax entry rules for Hong Kong holders of British National (Overseas) passports.

Britain created the BNO status ahead of the 1997 handover to China, allowing Hongkongers to apply for a restricted form of a passport without the right of abode.

In July, Britain relaxed requirements to permit Hongkongers with BNO status to remain and work in Britain with their dependents for five years and then apply for full citizenship.

"The BNO scheme means a lot to Hongkongers who had tasted freedom but are gradually losing it," said Law, former head of disbanded political group Demosisto.

"It helps them to live free from political persecution. I am very grateful to Home Secretary Priti Patel for her efforts in crafting this policy. We had a constructive dialogue about it," Law added.

More than 350,000 people have BNO passports, says the British government, which also estimates that there are 2.9 million who are eligible for BNO status in Hong Kong.

Beijing has criticized the British offer and complained of British interference in its domestic affairs.

The SAR government said it is "disgusted" and "expressing its strong discontent" after Britain displayed a Hong Kong flag at a meeting with an anti-government activist. "This is another provocation by Britain after smearing the SAR in their six-monthly report on Hong Kong earlier," a spokesman said.

He also slammed the British government for providing a path to citizenship to BNO passport holders, saying granting them the right of abode is a breach of their international obligation.

Also at the meeting with Patel was Beatrice Li, sister of activist Andy Li Yu-hin, who is among 12 people detained in the mainland since August after attempting to flee to Taiwan.

"We thank the home secretary and hope that Britain will do more in the face of the total destruction of our way of life," she said.

A photo of the meeting saw Hong Kong and British flags placed side by side at the venue, which could cause a diplomatic row and attract protests from Beijing, commentators said.

Lau Siu-kai, vice president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, said Law is not an official representative of Hong Kong and that Britain wants to send a political message by displaying a SAR flag.

"Britain is trying to express its anti-China attitude, as well as convey that it has the right to supervise Hong Kong under the Sino-British Joint Declaration," Lau said.

But he questioned whether Britain would take concrete action amid the economic ties between London and Beijing.

"Britain, especially after Brexit, needs to rely more on China's investment and market," he added.

michael.shum@singtaonewscorp.com