The US government voiced support for hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong protesters who marched for democracy, despite Beijing's objections that such remarks amount to meddling in its internal affairs.
"We respect the Hong Kong people's right to express their commitment to democracy and political reform peacefully," US Consulate General spokeswoman Susan Stevenson said on Thursday night after a massive demonstration to demand the territory's people be allowed to select their leaders.
"As we have said many times, it is up to the Hong Kong people and the government of Hong Kong to determine the pace and scope of democratization," Stevenson said in response to a query from reporters.
When the UK returned Hong Kong to China in July 1997, the territory was guaranteed a "high degree" of local autonomy. Critics charge that China violated that deal when it ruled in April that Hong Kong people cannot directly choose their next leader in 2007 or all lawmakers in 2008.
"The long-standing policy of the United States has been to support Hong Kong's move toward electoral reform and universal suffrage as provided for in the Basic Law," Stevenson said. "We believe that continued progress is essential for Hong Kong's success, prosperity and stability."
Auschwitz survivor Eva Schloss, the stepsister of teenage diarist Anne Frank and a tireless educator about the horrors of the Holocaust, has died. She was 96. The Anne Frank Trust UK, of which Schloss was honorary president, said she died on Saturday in London, where she lived. Britain’s King Charles III said he was “privileged and proud” to have known Schloss, who cofounded the charitable trust to help young people challenge prejudice. “The horrors that she endured as a young woman are impossible to comprehend and yet she devoted the rest of her life to overcoming hatred and prejudice, promoting kindness, courage, understanding
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