Macao: Statement by the Spokesperson on the arrest of Au Kam San

The EU condemns the arrest of EU citizen and former Macao lawmaker Au Kam San on 30 July under national security charges in what constitutes the first application of the National Security Law of the Macao Special Administrative Region since its adoption in 2009. 

This development adds to the existing concerns about the ongoing erosion of political pluralism and freedom of speech in the Macao Special Administrative Region.

The EU recalls that the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is a central element of the Macao Basic Law and ‘one country, two systems’.

It is essential that the protected rights and freedoms of Macao residents remain fully upheld in line with the Macao Basic Law, the Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration of 1987 and Macao’s commitments under the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights.