Speaking Out for Freedom

Floor Speech

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Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to what is happening in Hong Kong, especially to Joshua Wong. As a teenager, he led millions of people to the streets of Hong Kong to speak out for democracy and for freedom in Hong Kong and for the Chinese Government to honor its commitment to the Basic Law, which was the foundation of the transition in 1997 from Great Britain to the Chinese Government having control over Hong Kong.

Speaking out for freedom should not be against the law. Since the Basic Law, the Chinese have passed a security law, which is anything but security. It is a repression law. Under this law, Joshua Wong has pleaded guilty to speaking out for freedom. He said: Yes, I have done that.

He can be sentenced to life for speaking out for freedom.

This House, this Congress, has always been bipartisan in joining together for freedom, whether it is in Hong Kong, whether in Tibet, or wherever in China, and for human rights in China. Let us not forget Joshua Wong at this time and not forget Jimmy Lai at the other end of life. Joshua Wong is a young teenager who is doing this now, or in his early twenties. Jimmy Lai is toward the end of his life in prison.

We must speak out for freedom. We must not let this be ignored. The most horrible form of torture that the Chinese have over these people is to tell them that nobody remembers you or why you are here.

We want to be sure that they know we remember them.

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