People in Hong Kong can enjoy better rights and freedoms and strive for economic improvement thanks to the protection of the National Security Law for Hong Kong (NSL), a Hong Kong scholar told a United Nations meeting on Thursday.

Henry Ho Kin-chung, founder and chairman of the Hong Kong-based think tank One Country Two Systems Youth Forum, gave a speech during an interactive dialogue focusing on truth, justice and reparations. The event is part of the 57th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, held in Geneva, Switzerland.

Ho said there had been an absence of any national security laws in Hong Kong for a long period, and this had eventually led to the social unrest in 2019.

The implementation of the NSL has put the city back on track and enables the government to focus on reviving the economy, Ho said.

He said that the NSL better protects Hong Kong people’s human rights and freedoms, rather than weakens them, as some Western media have claimed. People with different political views, skin colors, or dialects are no longer attacked on the street by rioters, he added.

He pointed out that Hong Kong is a common law jurisdiction where the rule of law is upheld, and that judges adjudicate all cases without fear or favor, including in national security cases.

The number of tourists arriving in Hong Kong increased by 64 percent in the first half of this year, Ho said, and over 140,000 overseas professionals have arrived to advance their careers in Hong Kong under the city’s talent attraction schemes. This which serves as testament to the city’s stability and attractiveness, he added.

Ho also said that people from outside Hong Kong — regardless of their views and opinions about the city — are welcome to visit Hong Kong and experience its charm and vibrancy in person.

Ho also addressed a panel discussion in a UN Human Rights Council session on Wednesday, where he discussed Hong Kong’s efforts to attract global talent.

Contact the writers at atlasshao@chinadailyhk.com