<text>  Sir Richard Ottaway pictured said a troubling pattern of reduced freedoms was emerging as Hong Kongs autonomy comes under pressure Freedom in Hong Kong is being undermined by the Chinese government, British MPs warned yesterday. Beijings involvement in Hong Kongs elections is unduly restrictive and freedom of speech, the Press and assembly are being eroded, the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee said in a report. Chairman Sir Richard Ottaway added that a troubling pattern of reduced freedoms was emerging as Hong Kongs autonomy comes under pressure. The parliamentary committee urged the UK government to be more outspoken in support of democracy in Hong Kong, warning that failing to do so could damage Britains reputation there. The committee also accused the British Government of abandoning its moral obligation to support democracy in the former UK colony. The report added that Britain can and should take a position on democratic reforms in Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Candidates in Hong Kongs first public vote for a leader in 2017 will be vetted by a Beijing committee, meaning voters will not be offered a genuine choice, the MPs said. They argued that Britains reputation in Hong Kong may be damaged if the Government does not speak up in support of democracy, and urged the UK to take an unambiguous position on its expectations for constitutional reform. Tens of thousands of people in Hong Kong turned out for pro-democracy protests that rocked the city for 11 weeks last year. The student-led protesters occupied key streets in financial districts to demand the removal of restrictions in place for 2017 elections. The report also criticized British officials for not summoning the Chinese ambassador after China banned members of the parliamentary committee from visiting Hong Kong in December. Beijings decision to treat the visit as interference in Chinas internal affairs raises wider concerns about the state of UK-China relations, it said. China said the UK had no right to interfere in the matter. A pro-democracy protester raises his hands during the clearance operation of the Occupy Central camp in the Mong Kok district in Hong Kong, December 2014 . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. 