Thank you to everyone who has contacted me about the ongoing situation in Hong Kong.

I am deeply concerned about the proposed changes to Hong Kong’s extradition laws. A temporary suspension of these proposals is not enough; they should be scrapped completely and formally withdrawn.

The proposals could have a chilling effect on Hong Kong’s rights and freedoms, guaranteed by the 1984 Sino-British joint declaration and enshrined in the Hong Kong Basic Law. As such, the proposals would be a fundamental breach of the one country, two systems principle.

More widely, I am concerned by the steady erosion of compliance with the joint declaration over recent years. The ongoing protests over the extradition proposals should prompt serious reflection on the condition of democracy in Hong Kong and on the increasing crackdown on dissent and protest.

The situation is getting more and more serious by the day. I believe the protesters’ demonstrations are the culmination ​of years of frustration and based on the fear of interference by Beijing in Hong Kong affairs. It is time for some significant change.

The Government must its commitment to upholding Hong Kong’s rights and freedoms under the one county, two systems principle. I have written to the Foreign Secretary add to the people raising their concerns about this.