London, Dec 20 (EFE).- Foreign officials from Britain, the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand expressed their “deep concern at the erosion of democratic elements” in Hong Kong, which on Sunday held an election meeting in which some great opposition vetoed.

“The overhaul of Hong Kong’s electoral system introduced this year reduces the number of directly elected seats and establishes a new veto process to severely limit the choice of candidates on the ballot,” the five governments said in a joint statement.

“This change has removed significant political opposition,” the note said, highlighting that “many city opposition politicians” are “in prison, awaiting trial,” or “exiled abroad.”

Elections on Sunday in the former British colony, which formally rejoined China in 1997, recorded its lowest turnout at 30.2%, far lower than the last Parliamentary election in 2016, when it was 58.8%.

The statement released today by the five countries stressed that “acts that undermine Hong Kong’s rights, freedoms and high degree of autonomy threaten” their “common wish for Hong Kong to prosper.”

They declared themselves “deeply concerned” at the same time about the “widespread” effect of the National Security Act promoted by Beijing and “increased restrictions on freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.”

Non-governmental organizations, trade unions and human rights organizations that “do not support the government’s agenda” have been “forced to dissolve or leave” Hong Kong.

Faced with this situation, they called on China to “act in accordance with its international obligations” and respect the rights and freedoms that should be guaranteed in Hong Kong by the Sino-British Joint Declaration, in which Britain relinquished control over its latter country. Asian colony. EFE

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