The World Medical Association (WMA) on Tuesday deplored a reported breakdown of medical care in Hong Kong and urged authorities to respect human rights, after Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) urged it to respond to the “appalling” situation.
After images on social media showed medical personnel being arrested during a police siege of Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Wu wrote on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Twitter account that the situation was appalling and absolutely unacceptable, tagging the WMA’s account and asking it to speak up.
“The reported breakdown of medical care and humanitarian assistance for protesters in Hong Kong have been deplored by the World Medical Association,” the association said in an official statement.
The WMA demands that Hong Kong authorities respect human rights and not go against the spirit of the Geneva Conventions, it said.
“Medical personnel must be protected at all times, no matter what the situation. The lives of physicians, nurses and paramedics are at risk in the escalating violence,” WMA president Miguel Jorge said in the statement.
“The world cannot tolerate this breakdown of medical care and we would urge the Hong Kong authorities to restore humanitarian assistance and allow physicians, nurses and paramedics to care for all those caught up in the violence without interference by the police,” he said.
In related news, a Taiwanese high-school student, surnamed Tai (戴), was released on bail from a Hong Kong police station yesterday, one day after she was detained while attempting to leave the Polytechnic.
The mother of the 18-year-old confirmed her release after posting bail of HK$2,000 (US$256).
She said that her daughter was not charged with any offenses, but must report to Hong Kong police late next month.
Tai was not prevented from leaving Hong Kong, her mother said.
Tai “is in good shape,” her mother said, adding that Tai was offered food, clothes and a blanket at the police station.
“No one assaulted or used abusive language against her during her detention,” Tai’s mother said.
Tai said she suspected that Hong Kong police did not treat her badly because Mainland Affairs Council officials had intervened.
Her mother said that she and Tai would remain in Hong Kong before returning to Taiwan for the Lunar New Year holiday in late January, when they would decide whether Tai would return to Hong Kong to continue her studies.
She thanked the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Hong Kong for its assistance and also expressed gratitude to the media for reporting Tai’s detention, drawing the attention of relevant authorities to the case.
The council confirmed Tai’s release in a statement issued earlier in the day, saying that it would continue to provide any necessary care and legal assistance.
Tai was detained after leaving the university with other high-school students with the assistance of a group of high-school principals who went to rescue about 100 minors barricaded on the campus.
She was held at a police station in Kwai Chung in the New Territories, because she is 18 years old, the council said.
Her mother said that Tai left home at about noon on Sunday and told her that she was heading for Mongkok before approaching Tsim Sha Tsui at about 4pm.
Tai was just passing by and did not take part in the protests, her mother said, adding that her daughter tried to run away, but all the exits had been barricaded.
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