Beijing, Hong Kong slam Human Rights Watch report

Hong Kong rejected the HRW report and said it has steadfastly upheld the Basic Law and enjoyed a high degree of autonomy. File photo: AP

Beijing and Hong Kong authorities in separate statements blasted a report from Human Rights Watch that accused the central government of constructing a surveillance state on the mainland and undermining the autonomy of the SAR.



Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang on Wednesday said he had not read the report but that such documents routinely “turned a blind eye on facts and confused right and wrong with no objectivity at all".



Geng said the Chinese people had the final say on the state of human rights in the country, which he described as “in the best period of history".



Overnight on Tuesday, the head of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth, accused China of carrying out “the most intense attack on the global system for enforcing human rights since that system began to emerge in the mid-20th century".



Roth held a news conference at the United Nations Correspondents Association in New York after being denied entry to Hong Kong.



In a statement, the Hong Kong government spokesman said the city has steadfastly upheld the Basic Law and enjoyed a high degree of autonomy.



The statement also said 1,200 demonstrations have been held in the city and many ended in violence. Police enforced actions in "strict accordance with the law" to protect life and restore order to society.



"If members of the public could express their views in a peaceful and rational manner, there would be no need for the Police to use any force," it said. (RTHK, AP)