The major parties in Tasmania are "afraid" of challenging the Chinese government and are displaying "moral cowardice", Greens leader Cassy O'Connor says.
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Since last year, Ms O'Connor has consistently spoken up about human rights abuses committed under the watch of the Chinese Communist Party.
And with the mass anti-Beijing protests in Hong Kong showing no signs of abating any time soon, Ms O'Connor is ramping up her attacks on the Liberal and Labor parties, labelling them "p--s-weak" for their reluctance to take on China.
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"There's obvious attempts at influence and interference in Australia's democratic institutions and public life by the Chinese government and Tasmania is no different," she said.
"It's very clear that both the Liberal and Labor parties are afraid of challenging the Chinese government."
Ms O'Connor said Tasmania's lucrative trade relationship with China, as well as "historical political donations" to both major parties, had "contaminated their values and have diminished the political debate about what's happening in Hong Kong".
"I passionately believe that every elected representative and leader of a free and democratic nation should be speaking up in support of the people of Hong Kong right now," she said.
"They are on the front line of taking on a genocidal authoritarian regime, and we should support them."
Ms O'Connor reserved particular criticism for the "confused left of Australian politics", which she said "can't make a distinction between taking on an oppressive regime and talking about China more broadly".
On the issue of unrest in Hong Kong, Premier Will Hodgman said he supported "the right for people to express their views and engage in peaceful protest".
Labor leader Rebecca White said she wanted to see a "peaceful resolution" to the protests in Hong Kong, as well as the retention of the one country, two systems principle, which provides Hong Kong with relative autonomy.
"Cassy O'Connor's divisive and desperate foray into international affairs risks demonising all Chinese people, including those who are living peacefully in Tasmania," Ms White said.
Chinese Community Association of Tasmania president Peter Chung said Australia shouldn't "interfere" with the politics of other countries.
"Some people are many years behind [Australia's] development," Mr Chung said. "What [was] our human rights like 20, 30 or 50 years ago?"
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"When I came here, we had the White Australia policy - we didn't have any human rights not that long ago.
"[China] may be lagging behind a bit."
According to Mr Chung, Hong Kong didn't have the "ability" to be independent because it relied on China for its food and water supply.
"If you love your city or your country ... would you do all this harm to the environment and to the economy [by protesting]?" Mr Chung said.
"It's like slapping [your] own face."