中国は「自国民恐れる不安定な独裁政権」　ポンペオ氏

【ワシントンＡＦＰ＝時事】マイク・ポンペオ米国務長官は12月31日、中国の裁判所が台湾へ渡航を試み中国当局に拘束された香港の民主活動家に実刑判決を言い渡したことを非難し、中国政府が自国民と世界に本性をさらしたと述べた。（写真は台湾へ渡航を試み中国当局に拘束された香港の民主活動家の家族）
　ポンペオ氏は、「自国民の脱出を妨げるような政権は、偉大さや世界の指導的立場を主張することはできない。ただの自国民を恐れる不安定な独裁政権にすぎない」と主張した。
　中国・深センの裁判所は１２月３０日、台湾へ渡航を試み中国当局に拘束された香港の民主活動家１２人のうち１０人について、密航の罪で実刑判決を言い渡した。１０代の２人は不起訴となり、身柄を香港へ移送された。
　中国政府を声高に批判してきたポンペオ氏は、全員の「即時無条件釈放」を求め、「中国政府は残忍で、署名済みの国際条約を公然と無視し、香港市民の権利を軽視する姿勢をまたしても露呈した」と述べた。
　ドナルド・トランプ氏の大統領選敗退に伴い、ポンペオ氏は２０日に退任する。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/01/04-12:22）

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday denounced a Chinese court's jailing of Hong Kong democracy activists who tried to flee by boat, saying it showed Beijing's true face to its citizens and the world.
A regime that prevents its own people from leaving can lay no claim to greatness or global leadership. It is simply a fragile dictatorship, afraid of its own people, Pompeo said in a statement.
A court in Shenzhen on Wednesday jailed 10 Hong Kong democracy activists to up to three years in prison after they tried to flee to Taiwan, a self-governing democracy claimed by Beijing, by speedboat.
The conviction for illegal border crossing comes as China clamps down on dissent in Hong Kong, imposing a tough security law despite previous promises to guarantee a separate system in the former British colony and financial hub.
Pompeo, a vocal critic of Beijing, called for all 12 people arrested in August in their bid to flee to Taiwan to be immediately and unconditionally released.
The case exposes once again Beijing's brutality, blatant disregard for the international treaties it has signed, and its disdain for the rights of the Hong Kong people, Pompeo said.
Pompeo, who leaves office on January 20 following President Donald Trump's election defeat, has cast Beijing as a global adversary and vowed to end decades of US attempts to engage the communist leadership.