Twenty LREM deputies signed an open letter asking France to speak about the explosive situation in Hong Kong. "The international community must be able to express itself in order to have an answer from Beijing," said one of the signatories on Europe 1 on Wednesday.

INTERVIEW

After several weeks of demonstrations and while the Hong Kong executive hardens the tone against the protesters, about 20 French MEPs LREM signed an open letter on Thursday, asking France to express itself. For the deputy Jean-François Cesarini, elected from Vaucluse and president of the France-Taiwan friendship group, "beyond the government, the French political class is in an incredible silence", he criticizes Europe 1, Wednesday.

First, this letter is intended, according to the parliamentarian, "as much to the demonstrators in Hong Kong as to the Beijing government to tell them that the dialogue must take precedence over the violence: there must be a universal suffrage in Hong Kong", believes there.

Advice provided by "heirs of the French Revolution"

For Jean-François Cesarini, we must also say that as heirs of the French Revolution and country of human rights, there is a sense of history for us which makes democracy conquer more and more countries in the world and that China should not be afraid of these aspirations ".

Our Press Release on the events at #HongKong

"Open the dialogue, allow the expression of all opinions, avoid any recourse to violence, here is the triptych of principles that we send to you as friends. »Pic.twitter.com/AROyJEukKA

- Cesarini JF (@JFCesarini) August 11, 2019

Yet, on the whole, "beyond the government, the French political class is in a pretty incredible silence", he is surprised. "Even in the opposition, with the Socialist Party, the Republicans or otherwise, we have not heard a word, not a press release is gone.Here, we are satisfied after a week to see that the government reacted, "via a statement calling for calm. Because for the parliamentarian, "what happens there will have repercussions everywhere in the world, especially with the German economy, it's not just a local problem. wanted to express himself. "

"The more the international community speaks, the less the Chinese authorities may feel free to do a very violent crackdown "

A voice in dissonance with that of Anne Genetet, also LREM MP, elected French from abroad for the Asia Pacific sector (including China). "It is very easy to denounce what is happening abroad from our chair," said the parliamentarian in response to this open letter. "I found the tone of this letter far too much a lesson, you have to be much more subtle with the Chinese!"

"We do not have the same responsibilities on the ground, she's a French deputy from abroad, I can fully understand that she has to go to China regularly", replies Jean-Baptiste. François Cesarini. "It allows MPs like us, as president of the friendship group between France and Taiwan, to have a little more free speech."

Objective: a response from Beijing

Still, the Chinese military presence is strengthening around Hong Kong and an escalation of violence is looming. "The more the international community speaks, the less it will look away from what is happening, so less Chinese authorities may feel free to do a very violent crackdown," believes the MP, who hopes that the resolution of this conflict will advance at the G7 in France, from August 24 to 26.

"Today, we are not in this configuration, with the deployment of the army on the borders of Hong Kong, with words saying that they are 'terrorists', that it is a path without return. We must avoid a new Tiananmen, even if I think that these are not the same circumstances at all.The international community must be able to express itself in order to have an answer from Beijing. " It remains to be seen whether it will live up to the expectations of parliamentarians?