U.S. Secretary of State John Blinken on Thursday (May 27) issued a statement on the passage of a new “patriot rule” election law in the Hong Kong Legislative Council that aims to shut out the voice of democracy and deny it the right to run for office.
The full text of Secretary Blinken’s statement follows.
The Chinese government continues to undermine Hong Kong’s democratic system and to deny Hong Kong residents the rights that were once guaranteed by the People’s Republic of China. On May 27, the Hong Kong Legislative Council passed new measures to change the composition of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council and Election Committee, which severely restrict the ways in which the people of Hong Kong can meaningfully participate in their own governance and express their views.
Weakening the representation of Hong Kong residents in the legislature will not be conducive to maintaining Hong Kong’s long-term political and social stability. This legislation ignores the clear commitment in the Hong Kong Basic Law that the ultimate goal of the Legislative Council election is to achieve universal suffrage. We once again call on the People’s Republic of China and the Hong Kong authorities to heed the voice of the people of Hong Kong. We also call on them to release individuals who have been charged under the National Security Law and other laws simply for participating in the election or expressing different views, and to drop the charges against them. The United States will stand in solidarity with our allies and partners to speak out and protect the human rights and fundamental freedoms promised to the people of Hong Kong in the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law.
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