Help pressure the UK government to take a firm stance on the unfolding diplomatic crisis and flagrant abuse of human rights taking place in Hong Kong, following a crackdown on protesters, nationwide censorship, widespread misinformation, and potential lethal force used on protesters fighting for their freedom.

The UK needs to put severe diplomatic pressure on Beijing, offering supplies and help to the protesters fighting against a dictatorship that threatens to renege on the 1984 Joint Sino-British agreement, and if the worst comes to pass, provide asylum to HK citizens seeking to flee extradition to China.

Protesters in Hong Kong are protesting and resisting against police brutality after an extradition bill was proposed, which amongst other concerns, would allow political dissidents to be extradited to china and face trial under the Chinese justice system, where they are unlikely to receive a fair trial as the justice system is under political control, just like the state media.

Initially peacefully protesting, protesters met a brutal crackdown, where police started using excessive force, intending to beat the protesters into submission. Alongside excessive force, the protesters have been subjected to all manners of subterfuge, including:

· Widespread censorship and misinformation using state media

· Police officers dressed as protesters and making arrests

· Tear gas, bean bag rifles, hospitalisation by police

· Extradition to China

· Large scale social media manipulation using automated profiles (bots)

· Use of plain clothed thugs to attack protesters with bladed weapons

· Potential military lethal crackdown

These protesters are fighting for their freedom, the same freedom that the United Kingdom helped bestow upon them in the 1984 Sino-British Joint declaration. If the United Kingdom values it’s commitment to human rights and personal liberty, as many of our people have fought and died for throughout history, then this is the time to prove it.

Upon signing the Sino-British Joint declaration, Prime minister Margaret Thatcher assured Hong Kong’s political elite that Britain ‘would take issue with any breach of the declaration after 1997, and “would not hesitate to do so”’

Is that really the case? If we truly aren’t a shadow of our former self, if we have any national pride, then we will stick to those words and stand up for the people of Hong Kong.

We stand with Hong Kong. Will Parliament?

First, they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—

and there was no one left to speak for me.

- Martin Niemöller