Hong Kong must protect freedom of assembly - U.N. rights office

Anti-government protesters block a street in Central Hong Kong, China October 4, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations human rights office said on Friday that any new government measures to cope with protests in Hong Kong must be grounded in law and protect the right to freedom of assembly.

Any use of force should be exceptional and only in compliance with international standards, including the principles of necessity and proportionality, U.N. human rights spokeswoman Marta Hurtado told a Geneva briefing.