UK Halts Riot Gear Export To Hong Kong, Urges Probe Into Violence During Protests - Hunt

Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published June 25, 2019 | 10:44 PM

London has said it will be suspending its export of crowd control equipment to Hong Kong until a proper investigation into the police's actions during recent protests in the autonomous Chinese city is carried out, UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Tuesday

LONDON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th June, 2019) London has said it will be suspending its export of crowd control equipment to Hong Kong until a proper investigation into the police's actions during recent protests in the autonomous Chinese city is carried out, UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Tuesday.

"I today urge the Hong Kong SAR Government to establish a robust, independent investigation into the violent scenes that we saw. The outcome of that investigation will inform our assessment of future export license applications to the Hong Kong Police. And we will not issue any further export licenses for crowd control equipment to Hong Kong unless we are satisfied that concerns raised on human rights and fundamental freedoms have been thoroughly addressed," Hunt said in a statement.

He also stressed that the government remained "very concerned with the situation in Hong Kong."

The last license for the export of tear gas hand grenades and tear gas cartridges from the United Kingdom to Hong Kong police was issued in July 2018.

The last export license for rubber bullets was issued in July 2015.

Since June 12, estimated millions of Hong Kong residents have descended upon the city to protest an extradition bill designed to allow Hong Kong to extradite individuals to jurisdictions the city does not have prior agreements with, including mainland China. According to the Hong Kong Hospital Authority, 81 people were injured in clashes with police on the first day of the protests. Up to 32 people have been arrested so far.

The city authorities indefinitely suspended the bill in the wake of the protests, but the people are still demanding its complete removal from consideration. Apart from this, they are calling for all charges against detained protesters to be dropped and for police officers whom they accuse of excessive violence against the demonstrators to be held accountable. In addition, the demonstrators want the authorities to stop using the word "riot" in relation to the June 12 protests.