The United States on Monday, imposed sanctions on several senior Hong Kong officials, including Police Commissioner Raymond Siu Chak-yee and Justice Secretary Paul Lam, in response to human rights violations following China’s increasing crackdown in the region.
These sanctions, which aim to freeze any assets these individuals hold in the U.S. and criminalize financial transactions with them, mark a rare instance of the President Donald Trump administration taking action on human rights issues.
Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, stated, “The sanctions demonstrate the Trump administration’s commitment to hold to account those responsible for depriving people in Hong Kong of protected rights and freedoms or who commit acts of transnational repression on US soil or against US persons.”
Hong Kong swiftly condemned the sanctions, calling them an “attempt to intimidate” officials who are safeguarding national security.
The government also accused the U.S. of resorting to “barbarity” in its attempts to exert its influence, drawing comparisons to its coercive actions in other regions.
“This clearly exposed the US’s barbarity under its hegemony, which is exactly the same as its recent tactics in bullying and coercing various countries and regions,” a Hong Kong government spokesperson said.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong joined the criticism, labeling the sanctions as “unreasonable” and vowing to take “effective measures for resolute retaliation.”
Additionally, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, John Lee, is already on the U.S. sanctions list.
These actions were taken in accordance with U.S. legislation designed to support Hong Kong’s democracy.
The State Department specifically pointed to the officials’ roles in “intimidating, silencing, and harassing 19 pro-democracy activists” who sought asylum abroad, including a U.S. citizen and four U.S. residents.
In a separate move, Rubio also announced visa restrictions targeting Chinese officials over the denial of access to U.S. diplomats and journalists in Tibet.
The U.S. has been vocal in its criticism of China’s human rights practices, a stance Rubio has consistently taken since his time as a senator.
Additionally, Rubio had previously imposed sanctions on Thai officials involved in the deportation of Uyghur refugees back to China.
These sanctions come amid increasing tensions over Hong Kong’s political environment, where China, having promised a separate system after the British handover in 1997, has been imposing stricter measures, including a harsh national security law following the 2019 pro-democracy protests.
