Govt condemn US lawmakers’ bill to expand sanction list to include judges and prosecutors

The SAR government on Friday condemned U.S. lawmakers for requesting a review of the sanction list to include more Hong Kong judges, prosecutors and government officials, saying the attempt is to “intimidate the personnel who safeguard national security”. 

The bill was earlier tabled to the Biden administration by US congresswoman Young Kim, Representatives John Curtis and Jim McGovern, and Senators Dan Sullivan and Jeff Merkley. 

It proposes adding to the sanction list the Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok, Chief Justice Andrew Chueng Kui-nung, Police Commissioner Raymond Siu Chak-yee, Director of Public Prosecutions Maggie Yang Mei-kei, and Sonny Au Chi-kwong, Secretary General of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security. 

The bill also names all permanent judges, 23 current or former handpicked national security judges, as well as 15 prosecutors. 

“The HKSAR despises any so-called ‘sanctions’ and shall never be intimidated. It shall continue to resolutely discharge the responsibility of safeguarding national security,” a government spokesperson said. 

“The SAR government strongly urges the US politicians concerned to discern facts from fallacies, and immediately stop acting against the international law and basic norms of international relations and interfering in Hong Kong matters, which are purely China’s internal affairs,” the spokesperson also added. 

The government also condemned the US lawmakers for their “political grandstanding rife with ill intentions” and said successful implementation of the national security law has enabled the livelihood and economic activities to swiftly resume to normal and has restored business environment. 

The spokesman said the government will resolutely implement the NSL to effectively suppress and punish activities that endanger national security, and safeguard the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hongkongers at the same time.