Published 12:31 IST, February 4th 2021
Hong Kong pro-democracy movement nominated for Nobel Peace Prize by US
Hong Kong pro-democracy movement has been nominated for Nobel Peace Prize by US lawmakers who’ve hailed the protesters as campaigners for global inspiration.
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Hong Kong pro-democracy movement has been nominated for Nobel Peace Prize by US lawmakers who’ve hailed the protesters as campaigners for global inspiration in the face of a crackdown by Beijing. In a bipartisan letter addressed to the Nobel Prize Committee, the nine lawmakers stressed that the Hong Kong protests amount to “one of the largest mass protests” in the history and that it has been “peacefully” advocating for democracy and human rights since 1997. The nomination is led by Republican senator Marco Rubio and Democratic representative Jim McGovern, co-chairs of the congressional-executive commission on China which assesses human rights.
China’s Xi Jinping administration passed the draconian extradition law in early 2019, triggering massive anti-china protests across Hong Kong. However, with City-State’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam refusing to acknowledge protesters’ demand and mainland sending troops to quell the demonstrations, the protest soon turned violent. In response to eroding law and order in Hong Kong, China then passed National Security Law thorough which it had detained over 10,000 protesters, seized media houses inter alia. Despite the mainland’s repeated efforts at silencing the voices, protesters still voice their call for liberty and sovereignty.
More detentions
In their elaborate nomination missive, said the lawmakers said that a majority of demonstrators were already detained and they expected more Hong Kong democracy activists to be convicted and detained in the coming months for expressing their views. Elaborating further, they urged the Nobel committee to draw attention to those who are struggling for peace and basic human rights in China adding that they believe “the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong is deserving of recognition this year.” They said that the honour would collectively go to everyone who has contributed to Hong Kong’s freedom.
"A number of democracy advocates are already in jail, some in exile, and many more awaiting trials where they are expected to be convicted and sentenced in the coming months for the sole reason of peacefully expressing their political views through speech, publication, elections, or assembly," the signatories, all members of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, wrote in the letter made public on Wednesday, February 3.
12:31 IST, February 4th 2021