Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL7728):
Questions by Lord ALTON of Liverpool
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the use of gender-based and sexual violence towards women during the protests in Hong Kong is 2019; and what representations they have made to the government of China on this matter. (HL7728)
Tabled on: 10 May 2023
This question was grouped with the following question(s) for answer:
- To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the situation of women in Hong Kong since 2019, and in particular of female human rights defenders and journalists; how many visas have been issued to such women; and whether they are providing any other assistance to such women. (HL7726)
Tabled on: 10 May 2023 - To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the conditions, and (2) the incidence, of imprisoned women in Hong Kong. (HL7727)
Tabled on: 10 May 2023
Answer:
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon:
Actions by the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities since 2019 have further eroded the civil and political rights promised to all Hong Kongers. We have reported on the cases of a number of prominent female campaigners and journalists targeted for prosecution under the National Security Law (NSL) and others in our Six-monthly Reports on Hong Kong. The Foreign Secretary made plain our views on the imposition of the NSL and the targeting of dissenting voices with Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng on 5 May. We are entitled to act when China breaks its obligations, as we did by giving nearly 3 million Hong Kongers a path to British citizenship. Ending gender-based violence is a key priority for the FCDO, as reflected in the UK’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security and is one of the three pillars in the new International Women and Girls Strategy.
Date and time of answer: 24 May 2023 at 16:18
