Human Rights Watch incited criminal activity, says China after denying Kenneth Roth entry into Hong Kong

After the head of Human Rights Watch Kenneth Roth was denied entry to enter Hong Kong, China's foreign ministry said "allowing or not allowing someone's entry is China's sovereign right."

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"Disappointed as I was to be blocked at the Hong Kong airport, it pales in comparison to the shredding of "one country, two systems" being done by pro-Beijing forces to the pro-democracy Hong Kong protesters," Kenneth Roth said in a Twitter post.

"Odd if you think about it: hundreds of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Hong Kong to defend democracy, and the authorities block me and the Human Rights Watch from holding a press conference. Beijing should be listening, not censoring," he added.

China, however, defended its position asserting that the "relevant NGO has through various means supported anti-China radicals".

"Plenty of facts and evidence show that the relevant NGO has through various means supported anti-China radicals, encouraged them to engage in extremist, violent and criminal activity, and incited Hong Kong independence separatist activities," China's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said.

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"Allowing or not allowing someone's entry is China's sovereign right," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said, adding, "They bear major responsibility for the current chaos in Hong Kong. These organisations should be punished, and should pay the proper price." 

Roth, however, slammed China, saying: "Beijing finally owns up to barring me from Hong Kong, not local authorities. It relies on the fiction that international groups sparked the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests, not the people of Hong Kong themselves, which insults Hong Kong and is ludicrous."

The New York-based Human Rights Watch was scheduled to release its 652-page World Report 2020 at the Foreign Correspondent Club in Hong Kong on January 15.

Roth said China was putting forward a "redefined version of "One Country, Two Systems", asserting that barring him from holding a Hong Kong press conference about China's assault on human rights was "just the latest example".

"Taiwan wouldn't have barred me from entering if I had planned to hold a Human Rights Watch press conference there, but Hong Kong does. I suppose that's a variation in the usual meaning of "one country, two systems." The people of Taiwan appreciate the difference," he said.