US 'appalled by HK's political persecution' of democracy campaigners

The U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo accused Hong Kong of using the courts to engage in “political persecution” after prominent activists were detained and a former opposition lawmaker fled to Europe.

Pompeo said in a statement Thursday that the decisions to sentence activists including Joshua Wong Chi-fung to jail, while denying bail to billionaire media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, violated fundamental rights guaranteed by the treaty allowing the former British colony’s return to China in 1997.

He said the U.S. would work with its allies to defend such freedoms, something the incoming administration of Joe Biden has also pledged to do.

“The United States is appalled by the Hong Kong government’s political persecution of Hong Kong’s courageous pro-democracy advocates,” Pompeo said. “The use of courts to silence peaceful dissent is a hallmark of authoritarian regimes and underscores once again that the Chinese Communist Party’s greatest fear is the free speech and free thinking of its own people.”

Meanwhile, former pro-democracy lawmaker Ted Hui announced Thursday he was going into exile in the U.K. after fleeing to Denmark earlier this week. Hui was among those arrested last month in connection with a disruptive protest in the legislative chamber in May and quit last month as part of a mass resignation by opposition legislators over the government’s ouster of four of their members.

The developments illustrate the growing threat of jail hanging over pro-democracy activists as the Hong Kong government uses new and once-little-used laws to press criminal cases against them. Police have arrested more than 10,000 people since a wave of largely leaderless protests last year, including 26 under new national security legislation carrying sentences as long as life in prison.

The U.S., which has already sanctioned Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam and several other officials responsible for the city, is facing a mid-December deadline to identify banks for penalties under a law passed earlier this year to support the local democracy movement.

Biden has vowed to “fully enforce” such Hong Kong-related legislation and said he would convene a “Summit for Democracy” to reach new commitments to fight corruption and authoritarianism and advance human rights.