Hong Kong Hong Kong democracy activists urge UK to release unseen files Foreign Office still holding back tens of thousands of files now eligible for release after 20 years Joshua Wong of the pro-democracy party Demosistō: ‘It is by no means honourable to cover up historical facts.’ Photograph: ReutersHong Kong democracy activists are demanding that Britain releases tens of thousands of unseen files from the former colony that they believe are urgently needed to help defend its autonomy as Beijing tightens control. The documents were transferred to the UK when Hong Kong returned to China in 1997 and include material on the region’s future after handover. Officials initially told inquirers that Hong Kong records could be held until 2047 under a special exemption. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Agnes Chow, a pro-democracy activist, was last week banned from standing in a Hong Kong byelection. The FCO says that the Hong Kong files are on microfiche and that while this can be digitised, preparing them for transfer is “technically complex and time-consuming”.

Source: The Guardian February 04, 2018 14:15 UTC