Hong Kong will observe obligations under global treaties, minister says, amid outcry over C.Y. Leung’s comments on UN torture convention
Constitutional minister Raymond Tam Chi-yuen offers reassurance following chief executive’s remark that city could quit convention to tackle any influx of refugees
Constitutional minister Raymond Tam Chi-yuen has said Hong Kong will continue observing its obligations under international conventions, amid public outcry over an earlier remark by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying that the government could withdraw from the United Nations convention on torture to stop any influx of “fake” refugees.
Tam, when pressed by legislators yesterday to clarify the government’s position during a meeting of the Legislative Council’s constitutional affairs panel, cited the Basic Law and said: “International conventions as applied to Hong Kong are implemented through the laws of Hong Kong. We already have these laws in place and we shall continue observing the obligations.”
READ MORE: Rights groups alarmed by Hong Kong chief executive’s remarks on pulling out of UN torture treaty
But Tam said the government would review its policy handling non-refoulement claims by refugees. “That will mainly focus on shortening the screening procedures,” he said.
Democratic Party chairwoman Emily Lau Wai-hing said she was shocked to hear Leung’s remark last week and suspected any such move would breach the Basic Law.
In his policy address on Wednesday, Leung announced a review of the policy handling non-refoulement claims. In what was called a “careless answer” by concern groups, he said at a later press conference that the government could consider quitting the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment “if it is needed” in order to cope with any influx of fake refugees.
China is a signatory to the UN convention, and Hong Kong also ratified the convention before the 1997 handover. Under current laws, asylum seekers may lodge non-refoulement claims on grounds including torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and persecution, based on the convention.
The Security Bureau recorded about 11,000 such claims as of the end of last year. The government receives more than 400 new torture claims every month, costing taxpayers HK$600 million a year.
