Condemning Continued Violation of Rights and Freedoms of People of Hong Kong By People's Republic of China and Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, the ranking member, for his kind remarks. I thank him for his leadership on this resolution, as well. I thank Chairman Meeks for his leadership on this. It is a bipartisan resolution, and it is very much needed right now. H. Res. 130 condemns the ongoing violation of human rights and the rule of law in Hong Kong perpetrated by the Chinese Communist Party under Xi Jinping and the Government of Hong Kong itself.
As the author of the House-passed, bipartisan Hong Kong Human Rights Act signed into law last Congress, which I first introduced in 2014 and again in 2015, 2017, and then for a final time in 2019, I want to just thank Speaker Pelosi for putting that legislation before this body and for her strong support.
The Speaker mentioned a moment ago how we have worked for well over 30 years on combating human rights abuses in China whether it be Tibet, the ongoing repression and now genocide against the Uighurs, and the crackdown on religious freedom which has now become nothing but pervasive persecution against people of all faiths as well as the Falun Gong. We have worked very, very closely together, and I believe going back to right after Tiananmen Square, that linkage of human rights with trade was the only way to effectuate systemic change. Regrettably, we have lost so far that linkage. But, again, now we are seeing manifestations, particularly in Hong Kong.
Could Taiwan be next? Consider all of the promises that were made-- and there were solemn promises made by the dictatorship in Beijing--to respect human rights in Hong Kong. The basic law is now being violated with impunity.
Of course, there is the Sino-U.K. agreement that is being violated. This is an international treaty, and there is the Chinese dictatorship one by one arresting the best, the bravest, and the brightest of Hong Kong and putting them into prison for long prison sentences.
As the Speaker noted a moment ago, we just saw that Joshua Wong got an additional jail sentence on his already 13\1/2\-month jail sentence. We know that he is a great young man, and he represents the future of Hong Kong. He now is languishing in prison.
I met Martin Lee in Hong Kong in the early 1990s, and he suggested to me that someday he may find himself in prison. He said that it is worth it for human rights and for democracy. He is an absolutely brave and an absolutely principled lawyer, a former member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council. He too has been convicted under this crackdown on democracy promotion in Hong Kong.
So there are also many, many others. Jimmy Lai was one of five who were just sentenced last Friday. So this is happening in real time every single day. Once you are arrested and put into prison, the bully boys of the Hong Kong police make sure that you suffer, and you suffer intensely.
So, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank, again, Chairman Meeks for bringing this forward and, of course, my good friend, Mr. McCaul.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source