Randall Schriver, the assistant secretary of defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, said the United States was "100 percent" behind those in Hong Kong who were speaking out for respect for fundamental rights guaranteed in the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration. "But I think in general, we are concerned about the heavier hand that Beijing has taken and the Hong Kong authorities have taken with what we regard as legitimate activities on the part of the people of Hong Kong," Schriver added. He said the Hong Kong police and authorities had historically acted to uphold the law and the territory had a very good judicial system. Hong Kong has been rocked by four months of unrest, with massive marches and at times violent protests involving tear gas, petrol bombs and live rounds, over concerns Beijing is tightening its grip on the city and eroding democratic rights. Earlier on Tuesday, embattled Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam ruled out making any concessions to pro-democracy protesters in the face of escalating violence, which police said was now "life threatening," citing the detonation of a small bomb.

Source: bd News24 October 15, 2019 18:33 UTC