The House Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) condemned Hong Kong authorities for placing bounties on five pro-democracy activists, including one American.
“CCP-controlled Hong Kong authorities’ effort through intimidation and harassment to persecute U.S. citizens and residents engaging in peaceful political activism in the United States is unacceptable,” Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), chairman and ranking member of the committee, said in a statement on Dec. 14.
The criticism came as Hong Kong authorities on Thursday issued bounties on five overseas activists—including an American—citing their violation of the CCP-imposed national security law.
The House committee called on Congress “to take urgent action to address the CCP’s transnational repression, and the Administration must immediately sanction the CCP and Hong Kong officials responsible for the imposition of these bounties.”
Joey Siu, an activist based in Washington and a U.S. citizen, told Reuters that this was the first time an American citizen had been placed under such a warrant, and this “demonstrated the extraterritorial reach of the national security law and the chilling effect that follows.”
“I think democratic countries, especially the U.S., need to take a lead on addressing such transnational repression harassment tactics against activists like me,” Ms. Siu said.
The State Department also said it strongly condemned the Hong Kong authorities’ actions and its “bounty list” targeting pro-democracy activists overseas.
“That shows blatant disregard for international norms, for democracy and human rights,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a news briefing on Thursday.
“We deplore any attempt to apply the Beijing-imposed national security law extra-territorially and reiterate that Hong Kong authorities have no jurisdiction within United States’ borders, where the advocates for democracy and freedom will continue to enjoy their constitutionally guaranteed freedoms and rights,” he added.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said he had instructed officials in Hong Kong, Beijing, and London to raise the issue as a matter of urgency with the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities.
In July, the five dissidents were added to a list of eight overseas activists deemed fugitives by authorities.
“All of them who have already fled overseas have continued to commit offenses under the national security law that seriously endangered national security,” Steve Li, an officer with the Hong Kong police’s national security department, told reporters.
Police issued wanted notices and rewards of HK$1 million (about $128,000) for each of the five.
Erosion of Freedom
Since Beijing enacted the national security law in Hong Kong in 2020, the city has seen a significant erosion of the freedoms promised by the Chinese communist regime when the former British territory was handed over to the mainland in 1997. Authorities have suppressed protests, imprisoned pro-democracy activists, and banned gatherings, including the annual Tiananmen Square massacre vigil.
The law also eroded religious freedom in the city, as UK-based group Hong Kong Watch pointed out in its report last month that religious followers are forced to compromise their activities. It noted that self-censorship is now common in religious activities and schools affiliated with religious groups, and CCP agents have infiltrated church leadership in the city.
To support Hong Kong protesters and activists, Congress passed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act and the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, which were subsequently signed into law by President Donald Trump. The former law requires the secretary of state to certify annually whether Hong Kong is “sufficiently autonomous” to justify its special economic status granted under the United States–Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992.
Last month, Mr. Gallagher and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) criticized the State Department for inviting CCP-backed Hong Kong leader John Lee to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco.
Mr. Lee was sanctioned in 2020 by the Treasury Department because of his role in implementing the draconian national law security law when he was Hong Kong’s security secretary. The Treasury said he was engaged in “coercing, arresting, detaining, or imprisoning individuals under the authority of the national security law.”
Frank Fang and Reuter contributed to this report.
From The Epoch Times
