Serious and pervasive human rights issues are taking place in Hong Kong against both residents and people with citizenship in other countries.
Take the case of Jimmy Lai, who escaped communist China to Hong Kong at the age of 12, and, although he has UK citizenship, remained to advocate for democracy. As a newspaper publisher, he now languishes in solitary confinement in a maximum security prison.
His and other instances of arbitrary arrest and detention prompted Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan to call for sanctions — and he has introduced legislation that would put sanctions on 49 of Hong Kong judiciary officials, from top judges to the justice secretary.
Sullivan, a member of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China and the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Oregon Democrat Jeff Merkley of Oregon are co-chairs of the commission and are leading the bi-partisan effort.
The Hong Kong Judicial Sanctions Act holds officials of Hong Kong’s judiciary accountable for human rights violations and to support Hong Kongers facing persecution under Beijing’s National Security Law.” Hong Kong is in its third year of cracking down on freedom of speech, assembly, and the press, as its former self-governing status is buckling under the control of China. Hong Kong, which was released from being a colony of the United Kingdom in 1997, was set up at that time to be self-governing, under the “One Country, Two Systems,” principle granted to Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Using the 2020 National Security Law, Hong Kong authorities increasingly prosecute people for loosely defined crimes, things that Americans would see as fundamental free-speech rights. Even more oppressive laws are coming next year.
The Hong Kong Judicial Sanctions Act requires the president to determine whether certain Hong Kong officials violated human rights and whether sanctions should be imposed in accordance with the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019, or the Hong Kong Autonomy Act.
On the House side, three representatives — Young Kim of California, Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, and John Curtis of Utah — introduced companion legislation.
“We all know Hong Kong’s judiciary isn’t the source of pride and independence it used to be,” said Sen. Sullivan. “Since the 2019 – 2020 crackdown, the judiciary in Hong Kong has become an instrument of the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] to target innocent civilians. My colleagues and I are introducing legislation to focus the Biden administration’s attention on this insidious aspect of the CCP’s takeover of Hong Kong and the regime’s flagrant violation of the civil rights and autonomy promised to Hong Kongers in the Sino-British Joint Declaration. The Biden administration must let Beijing and their CCP lackeys in Hong Kong know that we are not fooled for a second.”
“Jimmy Lai’s case is unfortunately just the latest example of Beijing exploiting its ‘national security law’ to exert control of Hong Kongers,” said Congresswoman Young Kim, who serves as Chairwoman of the Indo-Pacific Subcommittee. “I am proud to lead the Hong Kong Sanctions Act so the United States can take strong, decisive action to support the freedom-loving people of Hong Kong and hold officials accountable in violation of human rights.”
China is Alaska’s largest export market, with product valued at more than $1.3 billion going from Alaska to China annually. Much of it is seafood. While significant, it’s lower than the record set in 2011, when Alaska exports to China reached nearly $1.5 billion.
In China, the CCP has never done anything like these atrocities or worse, right???
I sure hope that Dan and other elected leaders have a deep and complete understanding of the China “Unrestricted Warfare” that is being implemented. It’s completely foolish and dangerous to be ignorant and naive, China is neither a friend and/or ally of the US.
Kindly cite an example in the history of the world where a country viewed another country as it’s biggest threat while simultaneously viewing it as its biggest trading partner?
Let’s kindly consider what the US gets in return from this strange relationship with China? IMO … they offer nothing of meaningful value except cheap and inferior goods. It’s time to “de-couple” from China, NOW!
Dan why not support the Political Prisoners in the USA before running around the world poking our nose where it doesn’t belong!
And here I thought that U.S. senators represented U.S. citizens! Maybe doing important stuff like protecting citizens from rampant illegal immigration or properly managing the federal budget to prevent out of control inflation or encouraging energy independence. Instead Sullivan seems focused on far away lands and foreigners. Maybe we should replace him with an America First senator? Foreigners aren’t our concern and we’re not the World Human Rights Force. Foreigners can deal with their own issues…or not. Their choice.
Should be interesting to see whether human rights are suspended in the U.S. in reaction to masses of recently arrived illegal aliens taking advantage of the fact they can do anything what they want because there’s too many of them to arrest, much less incarcerate.
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We shudder to think the National People’s Congress of China would hold the United States accountable for similar human rights abuses.
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What happens then, no more iphones?
In your comment, you never really described precisely which human rights were being violated by the USA.
A re-read might be helpful.
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Theme is the ironic contrast between the U.S. call for sanctions against Hong Kong for human rights abuses and the possibility of retaliatory sanctions China will invoke as America’s iillegal alien invasion reaches the inevitable tipping point forcing authorities to take actions which may appear, or be manipulated into appearing, as human-rights abuses.
Seems to me that at this stage, years after a full-throated call for the same was necessary and could have been made to fuller effect, this amounts to a Glass House move. I would guess the ChiComs will know how to make hay with it.
Politics and these sorts of machinations aren’t going to solve our problems. Certainly not in the absence of God. It is when we repent as a nation for our sins, seek forgiveness, clear that mess out of the way and move forward in the Holy Spirit that things will be sorted and fixed through Him. That mission is going to be a tall order for Dan to take a leadership role in, but it IS where he could lead to greatest effect.
That’s right, Dan. They should be exactly like us, right? Arguing about how many $400k bum sh*tters to scatter around town, drug addicts soiling society, coddled criminals in tents, etc. Like that.
Focus, goofball. F Hong Kong and Isreal and whatever other butterflies you’ve been chasing. Do positive things for the Alaskans that put you in the seat. It is the only reliable way for you to retain it.
TB I had learned your concerns are local leaders job. It’s not for US Senators or US Representatives who like the US President much of their time and should be given over Foriegn policy. Local issues are for city councils, mayors, assembly members, and district legislators. Constituents seeking change of their community direction it starts at the local level. I found this interesting the higher up a leader goes, the further away they leave local issues and local influence deciding local matters and local direction. However the greater responsibility they carry facing global issues and world leaders.
Sullivan is working within his jurisdiction seeking to protect National security and interests overseas.
Sen. Sullivan has shown his true colors. His primary objective is to enrich defense contractors. He is a war monger. All politicians should be required to send their children to the front lines of the wars they so gleefully support.
Sen. Sullivan pays lip service to more pressing issues such as securing the domestic borders of the United States of America.
This.
I Agree!
It’s a day ending in Y, so Swampy is calling for sanctions again.
It’s easy to call for sanctions knowing Grandpa Bloodstains and the Democrat Senate would kill them.
But it is good for grandstanding.
Maybe I should change my name to EF Hutton so you post what I wrote😀
Sanctioning our largest trade partner for human “rights” abuses? First, when America was more than less a “free” country where its’ citizens enjoyed a fair proportion of our Natural Rights guaranteed in our constitution, our political and business leaders continually outsourced our industry to China. Our industrial base, equipment, tooling and skilled labor is so depleted, it would take years to reconstruct what our grandparents left us. Despite the utter disregard for human rights of a communist state, we are now utterly dependent on China for manufactured goods. (German/European industry has also been destroyed, the final stake through its’ heart was the American destruction of Nordstream with it’s critical flow of unlimited, cheap, clean and reliable natural gas).
Our leveraged debt and government subsidized spending based economy is also dependent on the treasury notes China holds. It has taken decades of bipartisan efforts to achieve the utter destruction of the post WWII manufacturing based economy and dominance of the US Dollar. The irony of the self inflicted transformation of a viable, real wealth creating and largely self sufficient economy into a vulnerable “service” based and utterly dependent on China based economy is now obvious.
If Senator Sullivan is concerned for human rights abuses, he needs not look further than Washington DC. The ongoing prosecution and persecution of American political dissidents held in jails under his feet by our own government and perverse judicial system would be his number one concern. The targeting of the current regimes’ number one political opponent using every resource and agency, with complete disregard for our own laws and constitution is pertinent for Americans. Foreign influence through lobbying and bribes and the pretense that we have a functioning presidency, a properly equipped military, a solid energy base would be Sullivan’s priority. Why doesn’t Sullivan support legislation to sanction the US President, Attorney General, Defense Secretary and the federal judges making a mockery of our precious “democracy”?
Succinctly and beautifully stated TRUTH.
The job of a US Senator goes beyond state borders. You’re not supposed to want federal money anyway.
“Sullivan calls for sanctions to hold Hong Kong accountable for human rights abuses.” Hmm?
Where are you when it comes to human rights abuses here in our country? The one you are supposed to represent. J6 prisoners years without trial or kept in solitary for misdemeanors or trumped up charges? Pro life families raided at dawn by fully kitted government agents for political crimes? Where were you doing the covid tyranny?
You are a nowhere man for us Sullivan. But here you talk about foreigners and seek to represent them. Pathetic.
Haters are out in full force today… If we don’t stand up for HKers who will? China is not and never intended to live up to their end of the bargain that gave HK to them. BTW, that quantity of fish we’re “selling” to China – I’d like to see a number for how much they’re stealing from us on the side…
You are correct about the fish; its hard to believe that they still purchase any significant amount with all of poaching. My fear is that if sanctions are imposed then they will be tempted to release a new improved biological agent in retaliation. I would still rather be a political prisoner in America than a citizen in China.
How? With what?
We’re broke, our military in disarray and not combat ready, and half of Congress and the White House are on China’s payroll.
It’s a good idea in principle, but again, how?
My issue is, and remains, Swampy Dan’s grandstanding.
Classic example of Attention Deficit Disorder. Try to stay in your own lane, Dan. There are plenty of domestic problems that demand your limited attention span.
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