Dear Mr. President,
We write regarding the ongoing protests by Hong Kong citizens over an extradition bill that would have made anyone living in or passing through Hong Kong vulnerable to extradition to China. The suspended bill poses a direct threat to U.S. security and economic interests as well as the safety of Americans. Protesters have been met with violence, and Beijing has accused the U.S. of fomenting the unrest. We therefore urge you to issue a strong statement condemning Beijing’s efforts to undermine Hong Kong’s autonomy, endanger U.S. residents of Hong Kong, and its suspected use of hired thugs to suppress the protests by the people of Hong Kong.
Since the end of March 2019, the people of Hong Kong have taken to the streets to protest an extradition bill proposed by the Hong Kong Special Autonomous Region (SAR) Government. The Hong Kong SAR Government refused to address the concerns of Hong Kong’s business and civil society leaders or the millions of Hong Kong residents who demonstrated peacefully against the bill on June 9, June 12, and June 16, 2019. Although the Hong Kong SAR Government suspended the extradition bill in response to public opposition, they did not withdraw it. Peaceful demonstrations have continued; however, they have been followed by violent confrontations between police and demonstrators.
The Hong Kong Police Force has repeatedly targeted journalists and needlessly endangered lives through their careless use of non-lethal crowd control equipment. On Sunday night, July 22, 2019, suspected organized criminals likely backed by the Chinese Communist Party attacked demonstrators and ordinary citizens alike at the Yuen Long MTR Station. Although some arrests were made, Hong Kong police did little to stem the violence or to hold those responsible to account. Beijing appears only to be contributing to the escalating tensions in Hong Kong. Chinese officials have reportedly made veiled threats to U.S. diplomats and residents of Hong Kong and suggested there may be grounds for intervention by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in Hong Kong. Such statements are unacceptable and demand a strong response from the United States and the international community. Failure to respond to Beijing’s threats will only encourage Chinese leaders to act with impunity.
Hong Kong’s governance is not China’s internal affair. China must fully abide by the terms and the spirit of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, a legally binding treaty that guarantees Hong Kong’s legal autonomy from the mainland. U.S. interests are at stake if Hong Kong’s autonomy is further eroded. The Chinese government’s willingness to uphold its international commitments have a direct bearing on whether any agreement with Beijing, especially on trade, can ever be trusted.
As the sponsors of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, we stand ready to work with you on this important issue.
Sincerely,
We write regarding the ongoing protests by Hong Kong citizens over an extradition bill that would have made anyone living in or passing through Hong Kong vulnerable to extradition to China. The suspended bill poses a direct threat to U.S. security and economic interests as well as the safety of Americans. Protesters have been met with violence, and Beijing has accused the U.S. of fomenting the unrest. We therefore urge you to issue a strong statement condemning Beijing’s efforts to undermine Hong Kong’s autonomy, endanger U.S. residents of Hong Kong, and its suspected use of hired thugs to suppress the protests by the people of Hong Kong.
Since the end of March 2019, the people of Hong Kong have taken to the streets to protest an extradition bill proposed by the Hong Kong Special Autonomous Region (SAR) Government. The Hong Kong SAR Government refused to address the concerns of Hong Kong’s business and civil society leaders or the millions of Hong Kong residents who demonstrated peacefully against the bill on June 9, June 12, and June 16, 2019. Although the Hong Kong SAR Government suspended the extradition bill in response to public opposition, they did not withdraw it. Peaceful demonstrations have continued; however, they have been followed by violent confrontations between police and demonstrators.
The Hong Kong Police Force has repeatedly targeted journalists and needlessly endangered lives through their careless use of non-lethal crowd control equipment. On Sunday night, July 22, 2019, suspected organized criminals likely backed by the Chinese Communist Party attacked demonstrators and ordinary citizens alike at the Yuen Long MTR Station. Although some arrests were made, Hong Kong police did little to stem the violence or to hold those responsible to account. Beijing appears only to be contributing to the escalating tensions in Hong Kong. Chinese officials have reportedly made veiled threats to U.S. diplomats and residents of Hong Kong and suggested there may be grounds for intervention by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in Hong Kong. Such statements are unacceptable and demand a strong response from the United States and the international community. Failure to respond to Beijing’s threats will only encourage Chinese leaders to act with impunity.
Hong Kong’s governance is not China’s internal affair. China must fully abide by the terms and the spirit of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, a legally binding treaty that guarantees Hong Kong’s legal autonomy from the mainland. U.S. interests are at stake if Hong Kong’s autonomy is further eroded. The Chinese government’s willingness to uphold its international commitments have a direct bearing on whether any agreement with Beijing, especially on trade, can ever be trusted.
As the sponsors of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, we stand ready to work with you on this important issue.
Sincerely,
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我们写这篇文章是关于香港市民正在抗议一项引渡法案，该法案将使居住在香港或途经香港的任何人容易被引渡到中国。这项被搁置的法案对美国的安全和经济利益以及美国人的安全构成了直接威胁。抗议者遭遇暴力，北京指责美国煽动骚乱。因此，我们敦促你们发表一份强有力的声明，谴责北京破坏香港自治的各种行为，危及在香港的美国居民，以及它涉嫌雇佣暴徒镇压香港人民的抗议活动。
自2019年3月底以来，香港民众走上街头抗议香港特别行政区政府提出的引渡法案。2019年6月9日、6月12日和6月16日，香港特区政府拒绝解决香港商界和民间社会领袖以及数百万香港居民的担忧，这些人曾和平示威反对该法案。虽然香港特区政府因公众反对而暂停引渡条例草案，但他们并没有撤销该条例草案。和平示威仍在继续;然而，随后警察和示威者之间发生了暴力冲突。
香港警方多次以记者为目标，草率使用非致命的人群控制设备，造成不必要的生命危险。2019年7月22日，周日晚，疑似有组织犯罪嫌疑者在元朗地铁站袭击了示威者和普通市民。虽然有一些人被捕，但香港警方对制止暴力或追究肇事者的责任几乎没有采取任何行动。北京似乎只是加剧了香港不断升级的紧张局势。据报道，中国官员对美国外交官和香港居民发出了含蓄的威胁，并暗示中国人民解放军可能有理由干预香港事务。这样的声明是不可接受的，需要美国和国际社会作出强有力的反应。不回应北京方面的威胁，只会鼓励中国领导人不受惩罚地采取行动。
香港的管治不是中国的内政。中国必须完全遵守1984年《中英联合声明》的条款和精神。《中英联合声明》是一项具有法律约束力的条约，保证香港从大陆获得法律自治。如果香港的自治进一步受到侵蚀，美国的利益将受到威胁。中国政府是否愿意履行其国际承诺，直接关系到与北京达成的任何协议是否值得信任，尤其是在贸易方面的协议。
作为《香港人权及民主法》的提案国，我们愿与各位就这一重要问题共同努力。