Amidst a crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, the U.S. Senate has unanimously passed “Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act” aimed at protecting human rights in Hong Kong. This has drawn a lot of criticism from China.
Crux of the Matter
In the first Senate bill, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would have to certify at least once a year that Hong Kong retains autonomy to qualify for special U.S. trading consideration.
The US would provide for sanctions against officials responsible for human rights violations in Hong Kong.
In a second bill passed unanimously, it bans the export of certain crowd-control ammunition to Hong Kong police forces. It also bans the export of items such as tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets and stun guns.
China has strongly condemned the bill and stands firmly opposing it and has accused it as a violation of international law.
In a statement by foreign ministry spokesperson, Geng Shuang said, “This act neglects facts and truth, applies double standards and blatantly interferes in Hong Kong affairs and China’s other internal affairs,”
Curiopedia
2019 Hong Kong protests, also called as the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill movement is an ongoing series of demonstrations in Hong Kong which were triggered by the introduction of the Fugitive Offenders amendment bill by the Hong Kong government. If enacted, the bill would have let local authorities detain and extradite criminal fugitives who are wanted in territories with which Hong Kong does not currently have extradition agreements, including Taiwan and mainland China. Protesters laid out five key demands, which include the withdrawal of the bill, an investigation into alleged police brutality, the release of arrested protesters, a complete retraction of the official characterisation of the protests as “riots”, and Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s resignation. More Info
Curated Coverage
Comments