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Swazilands absolute Monarch, King Mswati III, wants citizens to protect the country from pro-democracy groups he blames for tarnishing the image of the Southern African kingdom abroad.

In his speech at the opening of parliament, King Mswati said activities of the groups have deprived the country of good opportunities and benefits that could help improve the living conditions of Swazis.

Denial

But, Wandile Dludlu, the national coordinator for the Swaziland United Democratic Front (SUDF), a pro-democracy group, says the kings accusations are unfortunate and misplaced.

He says the international community is aware that state security agencies intimidate, harass and abuse the rights of citizens critical of the king and his administration.

We are not surprised by the utterances of his majesty. We live in a global village and it is not possible to keep hiding the shenanigans of his majesty, said Dludlu. He is denying the reality that he is the cause of the main problem that continues to pain the country negatively out there. By refusing to democratize, respect human rights, [and] respect the rule of law, these are the things that cast negatively about the country out there.

Pro-democracy supporters worry that the kings latest pronouncement enables security agencies, including the police, to violently crack down on their activities including meetings and protests. Dludlu said he agrees with the concerns of pro-democracy supporters.

His majesty is taking a more tougher stance on demonstrations on dissidents as he calls us," he said. "Going forward, we will continue to do our best to mobilize Swazis to continue protesting. We are making a call because these utterances are educative enough for the world to see what type of a leader and leadership is in Swaziland.

He said there is a need for the international community to pressure the king to create the enabling environment to ensure the administration respects human rights and the rule of law.

In our view his majesty will continue to posture so bad as he does if many governments in the world continue to treat him with white gloves, continue to trade with Swaziland without taking a good look at the human rights record of Swaziland, said Dludlu.

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Swaziland Pro-democracy Group Rejects Kings Criticisms

Britain has an enduring moral responsibility to ensure that Hong Kong is democratic, stable and prosperous, and diplomats should do more to uphold the treaty that governed the former territorys return to China 18 years ago, a Parliament committee says.

But a new report issued Friday by the British Parliaments Foreign Affairs Committee stops short of saying what will, or can, be done.

The U.K. can and should take a clearer position on the overall pace and degree of democratic reform, the report says. The specific details of constitutional reform are for the governments of China and Hong Kong to decide together with the people of Hong Kong.

The report is the conclusion of the panels seven-month inquiry on the state of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, the treaty under which Hong Kong reverted to Chinese rule in 1997 under a framework known as one country, two systems. That framework supposedly ensures the territory of 7 million a substantial degree of autonomy for 50 years from Communist rulers in Beijing.

Hong Kong is home to 250,000 British citizens and 3.4 million British (overseas) nationals, who have British passports but no right to work or reside permanently in Britain.

The committees inquiry, which began in July, happened to coincide with the most tumultuous period in Hong Kong since the treaty was signed in 1984 and registered with the United Nations. Chinese authorities sought to obstruct the committees work, even prohibiting its members from visiting Hong Kong during last years massive pro-democracy street protests.

In August, the standing committee of Chinas legislature, the National People's Congress, set a framework for future elections for Hong Kongs chief executive, in effect limiting the choice of candidates to two or three approved by a nominating committee expected to be composed largely of people regarded as pro-Beijing.

That framework touched off the unprecedented demonstrations that lasted 10 weeks and saw thousands of participants clogging major thoroughfares and surrounding government headquarters. The sit-ins ended in mid-December after police, acting on a court order, cleared the streets.

The British parliamentary committee reviewed testimony from nearly 700 people and civic groups in Hong Kong and concluded in its 70-page report that there are real concerns about Beijing eroding freedom of the press and of assembly in the territory.

Furthermore, the report says that Beijings election framework doesnt offer genuine choice in any meaningful sense of the phrase, nor do we consider [it] consistent with the principle that Hong Kong should enjoy a high degree of autonomy.

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Britain has enduring responsibility for democracy in Hong Kong, report says

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