US lawmakers announce bill supporting Hong Kong ‘freedom and democracy’
US legislators will table a congressional bill to monitor human rights and political development in Hong Kong, describing the city’s freedoms as “under threat” from Beijing.
US legislators will table a congressional bill to monitor human rights and political development in Hong Kong, describing the city’s freedoms as “under threat” from Beijing.
A group of lawmakers including cross-party heavyweights House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and Republican senator Marco Rubio announced the Hong Kong Human Rights Democracy Act on Thursday, arguing that Washington must back calls for genuine universal suffrage in the chief executive election in 2017.
“Hong Kong’s autonomy and freedoms – essential to its relations with the US – are under threat from China,” said Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat and co-chairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.
“At this critical time, we must strongly support the universal rights of the people of Hong Kong, including free and fair elections in 2017 and beyond.
“Our bipartisan bill would ensure that the United States can continue to monitor Hong Kong while ensuring that its democracy and freedoms remain a cornerstone of US policy.”
Commission co-chairman and Republican congressman Chris Smith added that “the steady erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy is the concern of freedom-loving people everywhere.”
The commission published its annual report last month of the 12th day of ongoing pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong.
The report called on the city’s government and Beijing to institute universal suffrage in line with the Basic Law and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, a treaty that China signed in the 1990s but has not ratified.
Organisers of the Occupy Central civil disobedience movement, which has paralysed parts of the city since it officially began on September 28, complain that Beijing’s proposed model for the chief executive election – whereby voters choose between no more than three candidates nominated by a pro-Beijing committee – does not meet “international standards”.
The White House previously called for Hongkongers to be given a “genuine choice of candidates representative of the voters’ will.”
The commission’s statement will be embarrassing for US President Barack Obama, who insisted this week that Washington was not playing a role in the protests. Beijing regards any comments on political development in Hong Kong as interfering in its internal affairs.
“As recent events have demonstrated, China remains just as committed as ever to suppressing dissent and preventing democracy in Hong Kong as it is on the mainland,” Rubio said.
“The US should make clear that we stand on the side of the democratic aspirations of the people of Hong Kong and against attempts to suppress their voices. This legislation would provide a much needed update to existing laws regarding the US-Hong Kong relationship and help to ensure that Hong Kong remains truly autonomous from Beijing.”
The new legislation will update the US-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992 by renewing annual reporting requirements of the act. The last such report was made in April 2006, though the State Department did issue a voluntary report in 2007.
China’s foreign ministry reacted angrily when the report was released last month. Spokesman Hong Lei said the US had no right to get involved in Hong Kong affairs.
“The report by this US body distorts the facts and is a deliberate attack on China. We express our extreme dissatisfaction about it,” Hong said at the time.
“We demand that this committee stop this wrong interference in and damaging of Sino-US relations. This body should speak and act cautiously, stop sending the wrong message to Occupy Central and other illegal activities or provide them support.”
