November 15, 2024 – The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK) Foundation urgently calls for U.S President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to ready a coordinated and sharp response should the Hong Kong 47 group of political prisoners receive harsh sentences next week.
Forty-five of the Hong Kong 47 are set to be sentenced under Hong Kong's National Security Law (NSL) for "subversion of state power" on November 19, bringing to a close the largest national security trial in Hong Kong’s history.
President Biden is scheduled to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping this weekend at the APEC Summit in Lima, Peru, where he should lay out the consequences should Hong Kong’s courts deliver tough sentences for Hong Kong 47 members.
The U.S. should prepare to lead a robust international response through the preparation of further sanctions on Hong Kong officials, and the expedition of legislation that will lead to the closure of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices on U.S. soil.
Likewise, Prime Minister Starmer is reported to be lining up a bilateral meeting with Xi early next week at the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and thus may also have an opportunity to raise the Hong Kong 47, as well as the case of British citizen Jimmy Lai.
The politically motivated legal proceedings against the Hong Kong 47 represent the culmination of years of harassment levelled at Hong Kongers who have dared to speak out against repression.
The Hong Kong 47 include many prominent pro-democracy lawmakers, such as Claudia Mo, Leung Kwok-hung or ‘Long hair’, Helena Wong, as well as Nobel Peace Prize nominees, Gwyneth Ho and Joshua Wong.
The NSL, introduced in 2020 by Beijing to crush dissent, covers four offences that carry a potential life sentence: secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces. All defendants were charged with subversion as a result of their participation in organising a primary election in July 2020.
The mass arrests of the Hong Kong 47 occurred in January 2021 and their trial began in February 2023. Of the 47 pro-democracy figures charged, 31 pled guilty. Of the 16 individuals who pled not guilty, 14 were found guilty of “conspiracy to subvert state power.” Since 2019, it is estimated that 1,910 political prisoners have been incarcerated in Hong Kong. More than 1,000 of them are still languishing in jail.
Jonathan Stivers, U.S. Director of the CFHK Foundation, said:
“The U.S. and international response to the sentencing of the Hong Kong 47 must be strong and unequivocal. The Chinese and Hong Kong governments must know there will be severe consequences to the continued persecution of these brave individuals. The Hong Kong 47 must be released, immediately, and unconditionally.
“The CFHK Foundation calls on President Joe Biden to use the opportunity of his meeting this weekend with Xi Jinping in Lima, Peru to make it clear that the U.S. response to harsh sentences will be to further sanction the Chinese and Hong Kong officials implementing these repressive policies, and to shutter the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (HKETOs) in the U.S.
“The U.S. Senate should respond by immediately passing the HKETO Certification Act (H.R. 1103) that passed the U.S. House of Representatives by an overwhelming vote of 413-3. The Senate should consider the House-passed Bill and send it to President Biden as soon as possible so it can be signed into law.
“President-elect Donald Trump should also speak out in support of the Hong Kong 47 and begin preparations to negotiate their release, along with Jimmy Lai. During the Presidential campaign, President-elect Trump stated he will ‘100 percent’ secure the release of newspaper publisher and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai. We call on him to fulfil his campaign promise.”
Mark Sabah, UK and EU Director of the CFHK Foundation, said:
“Given that Jimmy Lai is a British citizen who has already been in jail for almost four years and that requests for consular access are continually turned down by the Hong Kong authorities, it is time for Prime Minister Starmer to demand political access for British government officials.
“Likewise, the British government should be making clear that the Hong Kong authorities should immediately release the Hong Kong 47, who have already endured long sentences for doing nothing more than standing up for democratic principles.”
Frances Hui, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator of the CFHK Foundation, said:
“Over the past decade, I have had the honour of working with several of the Hong Kong 47 in promoting democracy and civil awareness within Hong Kong's society. These individuals demonstrated a resolute commitment to democracy by running the risk of life imprisonment to organise an election and run as candidates. We must advocate for their immediate and unconditional release and ensure that Chinese and Hong Kong authorities are held accountable for their actions.”
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