The 2 chairmen of the U.S. Congressional Committee on China issued a joint letter on Wednesday (seventeenth) urging U.S. Secretary of State Blinken and Treasury Secretary Yellen to impose sanctions on 27 Chinese language and Hong Kong officers, prosecutors and judges. The Hong Kong authorities handed Article 1 of the Fundamental Regulation. Article 23 and the conviction of the defendants in “Case 47”.
Signatories of the joint assertion embrace John Moolenaar, chairman of the Home Choose Committee on Chinese language Communist Get together, Raja Krishnamoorthi, rating member of the committee, and the Congressional and Government Department China Fee (CECC). Chairman Chris Smith and co-chairman Jeff Merkley of the committee embrace members of the Home and Senate from each Democrats and Republicans.
U.S. Congressman: The Hong Kong authorities is below the management of the CCP and can intensify its efforts to suppress Hong Kong
Within the letter, they expressed concern concerning the Hong Kong authorities’s additional erosion of Hong Kong’s democracy, rule of legislation and human rights, and particularly talked about the Nationwide Safety Ordinance (generally referred to as “Article 23 of the Fundamental Regulation”) handed in March this 12 months, in addition to the “47 “These actions by the Hong Kong authorities are of nice significance and signify an escalation of their efforts to undermine Hong Kong’s autonomy and suppress dissent on the request of the Chinese language Communist Get together.”
The letter criticized the broad definition of crimes in Article 23 of the Fundamental Regulation, which additional infringes on civil liberties. It’s “deeply disturbing” that 47 folks had been convicted of “conspiracy to subvert state energy” merely for taking part in unofficial primaries, with some dealing with life imprisonment. The signatories imagine that the U.S. authorities ought to take decisive motion to help Hong Kong’s autonomy and the civil rights of the Hong Kong folks.
Requires sanctions to be prolonged to Hong Kong judges and prosecutors by the top of July
In response to the ruling on the “47” case on the finish of Could this 12 months, the U.S. authorities imposed visa restrictions on Chinese language and Hong Kong officers concerned within the trials and convictions of the Nationwide Safety Regulation. However the signatories imagine this isn’t sufficient, and urge the U.S. authorities to implement the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, the Hong Kong Autonomy Act and Government Order 13936, and maintain accountable people who erode Hong Kong’s rule of legislation and democracy.
Lawmakers urged the U.S. State Division and Treasury Division to find out whether or not 27 Chinese language and Hong Kong officers meet the sanctions standards of the above-mentioned legal guidelines by July 30, 2024. Within the struggle in opposition to human rights, those that violate human rights might be held accountable.
The 27 folks named embrace 7 senior officers together with Hong Kong Secretary for Justice Lam Ting-kwok, Director of the Central Workplace of Nationwide Safety Dong Jingwei, Hong Kong Police Commissioner Siu Wai-man, and 11 judges together with Hong Kong Police Commissioner Siu Wai-man. Decide Zhang Juneng, referee Su Weide, and 9 prosecutors.
Advocacy: Let the federal government put together for the sentencing of the “47 Case” earlier than the U.S. Congress summer time trip
Kwok Fengyi, govt director of the Hong Kong Democracy Affiliation, an rights group for Hong Kong residents in the USA, informed this station that it’s anticipated that the Hong Kong courtroom will sentence the defendants within the “47 Case” within the subsequent few years. If the Hong Kong authorities takes the chance to “shock” the decision in August, the U.S. State Division might not have time to reply. Subsequently, the 2 committees of Congress are reminding the federal government to be ready to take sanctions instantly after the decision of the “47 Folks Case” is introduced. In any other case, it should ship a harmful message to China. I imagine that the U.S. authorities won’t be moved.
“Incorporate Hong Kong points into the dialogue of the US presidential election”
Guo Fengyi analyzed that one other vital issue is the US presidential election. Amid a collection of incidents such because the capturing demise of Republican candidate Trump and the re-election bid of Joe Biden, who was compelled to withdraw from the race because of stress from throughout the Democratic Get together, the eye of senior U.S. authorities businesses has centered on the presidential election. Subsequently, the 2 congressional committees hope to deliver the Hong Kong situation to the eye of officers and embrace the Hong Kong situation within the dialogue of the presidential election.
Kwok Fengyi mentioned: “Right now, the 2 committees, that are additionally bipartisan and bipartisan committees, have issued such robust statements and requested totally different folks to concentrate to the Hong Kong situation. In actual fact, it has added one other layer” to the dialogue of the U.S. presidential election, that’s, The Hong Kong situation additionally must be included within the dialogue of the presidential election between the 2 events.
She mentioned the committee’s letter would present the U.S. authorities that it was paying continued consideration to Hong Kong. Primarily based on previous expertise, after a congressional committee points such a letter, the U.S. State Division will proactively contact members of Congress, who may have the chance to precise their opinions to Congress, thus beginning a dialogue on the Hong Kong situation.
In a written response to our inquiry, Ying-Ting Tsui, a coverage and advocacy professional on the US-based Hong Kong Freedom Council Basis, welcomed the renewed bipartisanship of members of the 2 US Congressional China committees and known as for sanctions in opposition to officers and officers. Defenders of Justice.
“All these named have a historical past of colluding with the Hong Kong authorities, manipulating proof to acquire convictions, and delivering surprising sentences that undermine the rule of legislation,” Xu mentioned. “I’ve reiterated time and time once more that the U.S. authorities should implement U.S. legal guidelines in opposition to these people. The sanctions had been imposed in response to the passage of Article 23 of the Fundamental Regulation, the continued trials of pro-democracy activists and final 12 months’s bounties on abroad Hong Kongers.”
The Hong Kong authorities issued a press release on Thursday (18th), “strongly condemning” the “false and defamatory remarks” made by two committees of the U.S. Congress on the laws of Article 23 of the Fundamental Regulation and Hong Kong’s work in safeguarding nationwide safety; and identified that the 2 committees requested that the USA The federal government’s “so-called sanctions” in opposition to SAR authorities officers, judges, prosecutors and law enforcement officials are “malicious slander and despicable intimidation” of related personnel.
