Patten attacks 'outrageous political purge' on Hong Kong's democrats following disqualifications

Officials on Thursday barred 12 candidates, including well-known pro-democracy figures, from the September legislative election. The disqualifications came a day after the police made what appeared to be the first targeted arrests of four activists accused of posting pro-independence messages online.

Commenting on the disqualifications, Lord Patten of Barnes, the last British governor of Hong Kong and a patron of Hong Kong Watch, said: 

"This is an outrageous political purge of Hong Kong's democrats. The National Security law is being used to disenfranchise the majority of Hong Kong's citizens.”

“It is obviously now illegal to believe in democracy, although this was what Beijing promised in and after the Sino-British Joint Declaration. This is the sort of behaviour that you would expect in a police state." 

Johnny Patterson, Director of Hong Kong Watch said: 

"The political screening of moderate democrats brings home the reality of the new status quo. The idea that it is unconstitutional for lawmakers to  oppose the National Security Law is totally absurd. International governments must respond proportionately to this attack on Hong Kong's freedoms."