The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Monday expressed regret over an assembly on a U.S. bill on Hong Kong, and reiterated that foreign legislatures should not interfere in any form in the internal affairs of the HKSAR.
A spokesman of the HKSAR government expressed regret over an assembly held in Hong Kong's Central area which urged the U.S. Congress to pass the so-called Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act.
The spokesman pointed out that since Hong Kong's return to the motherland, the HKSAR has been exercising "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy in strict accordance with the HKSAR Basic Law, and the "one country, two systems" principle has been fully and successfully implemented.
"Human rights and freedoms in Hong Kong are fully protected by the Basic Law, the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance and other legislation. The HKSAR government attaches great importance to them and is determined to safeguard them," the spokesman said.
Passage of the so-called Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act by two U.S. congressional committees in September was widely criticized as it showed endorsement to violent protesters and would further stoke violence in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong has been plagued by violence and chaos for four months as rioters repeatedly attacked police officers and innocent people, blocked major roads, and vandalized shops, bank outlets, metro stations and other private or public properties in escalating violence.
During the assembly on the U.S. bill held Monday evening at Chater Garden in Central, a large group of protesters blocked the nearby carriageways, seriously paralyzing the traffic.
The police appealed to the protesters to respect the rights of other members of the public while expressing their views.
