By Coconuts Hong Kong October 24, 2014 / 10:52 HKT
Yesterday, the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee agreed during its current session that there is “the need to ensure universal suffrage” in Hong Kong, “which means both the right to be elected as well as the right to vote”.
The Committee, which is made up of 18 independent experts whose job it is to monitor Hong Kong’s compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, continued to say that their main concern was “the right to stand for elections without unreasonable restrictions”.
Christine Chanet, a member of the committee, said that the panel members don’t want candidates pre-selected by Beijing, but that they can’t put pressure on China “too heavily” as they “absolutely need China’s cooperation”.
“Cooperation” is a bit of an understatement.
The committee’s stance was of course well-received by Hong Kong pro-democracy activists.
Emily Lau, a Hong Kong lawmaker and chair of the Democratic Party, attended the session. She said: “The committee was clear that what is proposed by China is not compliant with the Covenant, it is not universal suffrage.”
Source: Reuters; Photo: UN Photo/Joao Araujo Pinto
http://hongkong.coconuts.co/2014/10/24/un-human-rights-committee-says-hong-kong-should-uphold-right-vote-and-right-stand
