U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Meeks led five cross-party lawmakers in introducing a resolution condemning Beijing‘s continued violations of the freedoms and rights of Hong Kong people. The resolution calls on the United States to join with allies to provide protection for those who fear persecution and to continue to sanction those involved.
As China intensifies its crackdown on Hong Kong’s pan-democrats, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks (D-CA) led five cross-party, heavyweight members of the committee to introduce a resolution condemning Beijing and the Hong Kong government for continuing to violate the freedoms and rights of the people of Hong Kong.
The co-sponsors include Republican Ranking Member Michael McCaul, Democratic Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ami Bera, Republican Ranking Member Steve Chabot, Democratic Foreign Affairs Committee Vice Chairman Tom Malinowski, and Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger (D-CA).
The resolution lists a number of Beijing’s “crimes,” including bypassing the Hong Kong government on June 30 last year to pass and implement the National Security Law, which may violate Hong Kong’s Basic Law; sentencing 10 people in the “12 Hong Kong people” smuggling case to prison terms ranging from seven months to three years; and threatening to revoke the licenses of two lawyers representing the 12 Hong Kong people.
The resolution also criticizes the Hong Kong government for revoking the candidacy of 12 pro-democracy activists last year, prosecuting and arresting six overseas Hong Kong people for allegedly violating national security laws, disqualifying four pan-democratic Legislative Council members, and sentencing Wong Chi-fung, the former secretary-general of the Hong Kong People’s Liberation Army, who participated in the “anti-China” protests, as well as arresting more than 50 pan-democrats earlier this year.
The resolution reaffirms the U.S. House of Representatives’ support for the people of Hong Kong and encourages the President, Secretary of State, and Secretary of the Treasury to work with allies to respond to the situation in Hong Kong, including providing protection for those who fear persecution, supporting those who intend to bring charges before the International Court of Justice, and holding Beijing accountable for violating its legal commitments under the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
The resolution also calls on the U.S. executive branch to continue to impose sanctions on officials involved in China and Hong Kong, and encourages allies to instruct their UN representatives to urge the UN to designate a special mandate holder to follow and report on the human rights situation in Hong Kong through the expression of views, votes and influence.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee is expected to consider the resolution on the 25th, and it should be passed successfully by then. Such resolutions are merely expressions of congressional positions and are not binding on the government.
Recent Comments