US releases report on 10 individuals undermining freedom, rule of law in Hong Kong

The US State Department on Wednesday, October 14 has released an in-depth report on 10  individuals whose actions have threatened the freedoms of the people residing in Hong Kong. State Secretary Mike Pompeo took to Twitter to criticize the actions of Chinese Communist Party that has routinely put efforts to topple the autonomy in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.

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Beijing to cripple Hong Kong's autonomy

According to ANI reports, State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus in a statement said that due to the imposition of the National Security Law, the Chinese government has crippled democratic institutions, human rights, judicial independence, and individual freedoms in Hong Kong. Ortagus added that the US "has publicly condemned" the "problematic actions" taken by Beijing and Hong Kong authorities to dismantle the Hong Kong's autonomy. 

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ANI quoted the spokesperson as saying, "The Hong Kong Autonomy Act requires the Secretary of State to submit a report to Congress identifying foreign persons who are materially contributing to, have materially contributed to, or attempt to materially contribute to the failure of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to meet its obligations under the Sino-British Joint Declaration or Hong Kong's Basic Law". "This year's report includes ten PRC and Hong Kong officials whose actions have undermined freedoms of assembly, speech, press, or the rule of law, or whose actions have reduced the high degree of autonomy of Hong Kong", he added. 

Ortagus further added that the new report reveals "our ongoing objection"  to Beijing's actions that are being intentionally taken to wipe out the freedoms of the people of Hong Kong and impose the Chinese government's oppressive policies. The US treasury department has said that they have imposed strict sanctions against the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Carrie Lam and nine other officials. It added that the list includes the Secretary-General of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security, the secretaries of justice, security, constitutional and Mainland affairs, the police commissioner and other officials. 

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Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has consistently defended  China's new security law for the city as "totally constitutional, legal and reasonable," insisting it would not undermine human rights and freedoms. Lam stressed the law would "restore stability to Hong Kong," adding she did "not understand why certain foreign countries" had commented on it.

Denouncing Beijing’s National Security Law, the US has said that the law denied the Hong Kongers their fundamental rights and liberties. It also added that the law also increased the communist party's control over its internal affairs adding that the legislation was the “latest violation” of Beijing's commitment to Hong Kong people around the world.

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Inputs: ANI, Image: AP