July 1, 2020

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on June 30 published a statement in protest against a controversial national security law on Hong Kong which China passed on June 25. The full text is as follows:

Shii Kazuo
Chair, Japanese Communist Party
Member of the House of Representatives of Japan
Tokyo
June 30, 2020

The Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress today adopted the "Hong Kong National Security Law." This is an outrageous act which further strengthens the forces of suppression of human rights in Hong Kong and turns China's international commitment of "One Country, Two Systems" a hollow sham. It is also seriously grave that the central government unilaterally imposed the law without the Hong Kong Legislative Council deliberation, thereby ignoring the democratic process. The Japanese Communist Party strongly protests the enactment of this law and calls for its withdrawal.

The National Security Law includes the creation of a new National Security Safeguard Office as a central government's oversight and guidance agency, and the exercise of the central government's jurisdiction over national security crimes in Hong Kong, as it seeks to crack down on acts of secession, subversion, terrorist activities, and collusion with foreign powers to compromise national security.

This enables the direct intervention and suppression of individuals and movements working for civil and political freedom in Hong Kong by the Chinese authorities. It is in direct contradiction to the nation’s international commitment to recognize Hong Kong's "high degree of autonomy." It is also contrary to a series of international human rights laws and the International Human Rights Covenants enshrined in Hong Kong's Basic Law.

In today's world, gross human rights violations are no longer regarded as an internal affair but an international issue. It's no surprise that there has been widespread international criticism, including a statement cosigned by the Special Rapporteurs and other experts of the United Nations Human Rights Council, stating that the adoption of the law violates “China’s international legal obligations” and that the law “would easily be subject to abuse and repression.”

Moreover, the world is now in the midst of efforts to bring the COVID-19 pandemic to an end. It must be pointed out that China’s decision to impose the law would introduce additional difficulties to international cooperation and coordination at a time when the international community is needed to cooperate and coordinate to bring the pandemic under control.

The Japanese Communist Party reiterates its demand that the Chinese government return to its international commitment to Hong Kong, "One Country, Two Systems", and implement the international human rights guarantees it has signed and supported.