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First aid volunteers may have suffered human rights violations at Hong Kong protests, UN suggests in letter to Beijing delegation
- Group of rapporteurs goes public after receiving no response to February inquiry, which cited cases involving alleged police violence
- Letter comes as British lawmakers prepare to launch their own inquiry into handling of protests
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United Nations experts have expressed “serious concern” over allegations by volunteer first aid workers who say they were harassed, detained and denied access to injured protesters during months of anti-government unrest in Hong Kong last year, saying local authorities appeared to have violated international human rights principles.
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Three UN special rapporteurs and a member of a working group on arbitrary detention first sent their inquiries to the Chinese delegation in Geneva on February 19, before making the correspondence public on Monday after receiving no response.
Hong Kong authorities told the Post they had already issued their response to the Chinese mission to be published via the UN, but declined to discuss the content of that reply.
In late January, two rapporteurs raised concerns about the firing of tear gas by police, in what they called an “uncontrolled and allegedly malicious manner”. A reply from Hong Kong on that specific allegation has also been sent to the Chinese mission, but not yet published.
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The protests, first triggered by the now-withdrawn extradition bill in June last year, quickly broadened into calls for greater democracy and routinely descended into violent clashes between protesters and police, resulting in injuries to both sides.
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