The President will visit China from 4 November. France will even be the “guest of honour” at the Shanghai Import Fair. The objective is therefore clear: it is a business-visit, which treats China a partner like any other country, regardless of the fact that the regime is very violently repressing the mobilization for democracy in Hong Kong.
Human rights will come second to the the business interests of Airbus, Orano (formerly Areva) and probably those of the French company, Armoric Holdings, which manufactures water cannons to repress demonstrations.
Indeed, since June, the vast majority of Hong Kong’s population has been struggling to defend and extend their freedoms. In particular, it requires the right to elect by universal suffrage the executive and legislative authorities of Hong Kong.
The government stubbornly refuses to satisfy these elementary demands and responds with increasing repression.
In particular, it uses formidable “water cannons”, which in fact project an indelible blue liquid to “mark” and then, arrest and possibly prosecute anyone concerned.
This blue liquid is also highly toxic: it can cause serious inflammation to the eyes, throat and lungs. Not to mention the risk of injury from the high-pressure jets of these water cannons.
The entire population of Hong Kong is in fact threatened by this type of equipment: on 20 October, a mosque in front of which no demonstrators were present was also targeted, and two people were wounded.
These “water cannons” are manufactured in France by the company Armoric Holdings located in Saint-Nazaire.
Together with the Hong Kong trade unions and associations, we therefore call on the French government to put an end to the export and maintenance of such weapons.
In this context, Solidaires supports the following petition proposed by a committee of Hong Kong residents in France:
“I demand a ban on the export of French water cannons to Hong Kong”.
Signatures to be sent to librehk gmail.com
Paris, November 4, 2019