We’ve been calling on Congress to pass the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act since August.
So we were pleased when, shortly before adjourning for Thanksgiving holiday, the Senate unanimously approved the bill and the House voted overwhelmingly (417-1) to send the legislation to President Donald Trump for his signature.
We were equally pleased when the president announced he signed the bill, along with another bill that prohibits the sale of tear gas, rubber bullets and other crowd-control munitions to the Hong Kong police.
At any rate, Trump chose to stand for freedom at this crucial time in history.
The act makes clear that “the human rights of the people of Hong Kong are of great importance to the United States” and that the U.S. supports the “democratic aspirations” of the people of Hong Kong, as “guaranteed to them” by law under the terms of the 1997 handover from British to Chinese rule. Last month’s landslide victory for pro-democracy candidates in Hong Kong’s local elections was further proof of the territory’s commitment to democratic reform.
Perhaps most crucially, the law requires the U.S. government impose sanctions on Chinese officials deemed responsible for human rights abuses in Hong Kong and bars such individuals from entering the U.S. This could have far-reaching consequences for anyone found to have violated “internationally recognized human rights in Hong Kong” including through “extrajudicial rendition” or “torture.”
The freedoms guaranteed Hong Kong’s 7.5 million people, a “semi-autonomous region” under Chinese and international law are under direct threat. Whether the rule of law is upheld in Hong Kong today, or whether it becomes just another outlying Chinese territory depends on whether the U.S. and the rest of the “free world” takes a stand.
To his credit, when the International Consortium of Investigative Journalism recently published its shocking “China Cables” investigation detailing the extrajudicial detention of more than a million Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, China, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on the Chinese government to “immediately” release anyone “arbitrarily” detained in Xinjiang.
It’s no coincidence that the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act warns against similar human rights abuses — and introduces stiff penalties and sanctions if the U.S. uncovers such abuses in the territory.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz got it right when he wrote recently that “Hong Kong is the new Berlin.” Similar to the Soviets during the Cold War, “the Chinese Communist Party engages in routine censorship and surveillance of its citizens and commits atrocious human rights offenses.” As Americans, Cruz continued, we “should remember that our unique defining principles have the power to tear down oppressive walls, topple tyrannies and promote freedom.”
We agree with Cruz, and during this holiday season are thankful that Congress — and President Trump — chose to promote freedom in Hong Kong and stand with those who would risk their lives and livelihoods for greater democracy.
— The Dallas Morning News