Lord Patten of Barnes issues statement on verdict in the trial of Jimmy Lai

Today, Lord Patten of Barnes, the last British Governor of Hong Kong and Patron of Hong Kong Watch, issued a full statement in response to the guilty verdict in the trial of Jimmy Lai on three national security charges in Hong Kong.

Mr Lai was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security, as well as one count of conspiracy to distribute seditious publications. He has been found guilty of all three charges and could now be sentenced to life in prison.

Hong Kong Watch is publishing Lord Patten’s remarks on the verdict in full below.

Statement from The Rt Hon Lord Patten of Barnes KG CH:

Like everyone who believes in the values of free societies under the Rule of Law, I am horrified but not surprised by the verdict on Jimmy Lai. We should be absolutely clear that this judgement confirms three things.

First, the Chinese Communist Party clearly broke its word about the Joint Declaration, a Treaty signed between Britain and China, which was supposed to guarantee Hong Kong’s freedom and rule of law until 2047. The Jimmy Lai verdict, handed down by politically appointed judges with no jury, is as strong evidence as one could have about China’s contempt for the agreement that it signed, and for its contempt for freedom also.

Second, we need to be clear about why China has targeted Jimmy Lai, a British citizen who has been denied consular access to the UK Foreign Office during his imprisonment. He has also been denied, as a practising Catholic, the ability to attend Mass in prison and receive Holy Communion in his cell.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) hates Jimmy Lai because he is an example of the history of so many of Hong Kong’s population. He stowed away to escape communist rule in mainland China and enjoyed economic and political freedom in what was then a British colony. He became a passionate advocate for the freedoms which made Hong Kong such a successful example of the partnership between economic and political freedom.

What the Communists really hated about him was that, even when he could have left Hong Kong in 1997 for Britain, as a citizen here, or for other countries, he chose to stay behind alongside the people of Hong Kong whose human rights he had so long defended and written about. Beijing, and the puppet government in Hong Kong, hates in particular those who have bravely stood up to it.

Having spent almost five years in solitary confinement Jimmy will clearly have to continue to endure further imprisonment. I hope that all in the rest of the world who believe in freedom will call frequently and loudly for his release from captivity.

The Catholic Church should also raise in particular the refusal to allow him in prison to practice as a Catholic.

Finally, I saw Jimmy Lai’s son Sebastian again recently and had a message from Jimmy’s wife. I assured them that all who believe in human rights and decency would continue to campaign for his release. Jimmy is one of the best examples of the dissidents who suffer from tyrannical regimes. Anyone who thinks that the Chinese Communist Party can be trusted or that it is capable of reforming itself should remember Jimmy Lai’s case.

It is of course revealing that one thing that the Chinese Communist Party is terrified of is the freedoms that made Hong Kong so special, and which will eventually lead to change in China itself. I hope this will be accomplished without turbulence.

I trust this Christmas that as many people as possible will speak out for Jimmy and that all Christians will pray for him at this special moment.

The Rt Hon Lord Patten of Barnes KG CH

Governor of Hong Kong 1992-1997

黎智英「串謀勾結外國勢力」罪成 香港監察贊助人彭定康勳爵發聲明回應

今日黎智英被裁定三項國安控罪罪成，最後一任香港總督、香港監察贊助人彭定康勳爵（Lord Patten of Barnes）發聲明回應事件。

黎智英被控兩項「串謀勾結外國勢力危害國家安全」罪及一項「串謀發布煽動刊物」罪，三罪均罪名成立，有機會被判處終身監禁。

香港監察現發布彭定康勳爵對裁決的評論，全文如下。

彭定康勳爵聲明：

跟所有信奉法治自由社會價值的人一樣，我對黎智英案的裁決感到震驚但不意外。我們要清楚知道，這項判決證實三件事。

首先，中國共產黨顯然違背了《中英聯合聲明》下的承諾，《聯合聲明》是英、中兩國簽署的條約，本來旨在保障香港的自由和法治，直至2047年。黎智英案的裁決由政治欽點的法官在無陪審團的情況下頒布，這點有力地證明中國蔑視自己簽署的協議，並對自由不屑一顧。

其次，我們要清楚了解為何中國針對黎智英，這位英國公民在囚期間被剝奪獲得英國外交部領事探視的權利。身為虔誠的天主教徒，他亦被剝奪在獄中參加彌撒和在監倉領受聖餐的權利。

中共憎恨黎智英，因為他代表很多香港人的歷史。他為逃離中國大陸的共產統治而偷渡到當時是英國殖民地的香港，享受經濟與政治自由。他熱切倡議這些令香港成為結合經濟與政治自由成功典範的自由。

共產黨真正憎恨他的地方是，即使1997年他本可以英國公民身分離港赴英或其他國家，他依然選擇留下與香港人同行，而他長久以來一直捍衛及報導香港人權。北京及香港傀儡政府特別憎恨那些勇敢站出來對抗他們的人。

黎智英已被單獨囚禁幾乎五年，現在顯然要繼續受牢獄之苦。我希望全世界所有信奉自由的人都會時常大聲呼籲釋放他。

天主教會亦應特別提出他在獄中被拒絕實踐天主教徒生活一事。

最後，我最近再與黎智英的兒子黎崇恩見面，並收到他太太的信息。我向他們保證，所有相信人權和正義的人都會繼續爭取釋放他。黎智英是其中一個典型受暴政打壓的異見者。任何認為中國共產黨可以信任或有能力自我改革的人都應緊記黎智英案。

這當然揭示了中國共產黨非常害怕的事物，就是令香港如此獨特的自由，而這些自由最終會為中國帶來改變。我希望這能無風無雨地實現。

我盼望今個聖誕節，盡可能多的人會為黎智英發聲，而所有基督徒都會在這特別時刻為他祈禱。

彭定康勳爵

1992-1997年香港總督