Hong Kong Watch visits Washington, DC to champion defending human rights in Hong Kong
This week to mark the start of the 119th Congress, Hong Kong Watch conducted a series of high-level meetings with Members of Congress and their staff to address critical issues related to human rights in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Policy Act, and the plight of Hong Kong political prisoners, with a particular focus on the urgent need to release British citizen Jimmy Lai.
Hong Kong Watch’s Chair of Trustees, Aileen Calverley, and our Policy Advisor, Katherine Leung, specifically engaged with members of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), including Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15) and Representative Seth Moulton (D-MA-06). Both leaders reaffirmed their steadfast commitment to addressing the CCP’s human rights violations in Hong Kong, and emphasized the urgent need to support those resisting authoritarian oppression.
Additionally, Hong Kong Watch held meaningful discussions with staff members from the offices of Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Representative Young Kim (R-CA-40), Chair of the Subcommittee for the Indo-Pacific, Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-11), Representative Neal Dunn (R-FL-02), Representative Ashley Hinson (R-IA-02), Representative Ben Cline (R-VA-06), and Representative Jake Auchincloss (D-MA-04). These meetings highlighted a collective dedication to reviewing Hong Kong’s special status, addressing transnational repression, especially against Hong Kongers who are resident in the US, and advocating for human rights in Hong Kong and its diaspora community.
Our team also engaged with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), and officials from the State Department, reinforcing the importance of a strong and urgent US response to the ongoing crisis in Hong Kong. We also discussed strategies to counter the CCP’s increasing aggression in the Indo-Pacific region.
Hong Kong Watch expresses its gratitude to the Members of Congress and their staff, as well as the US government, for their commitment to Hong Kong’s human rights and fundamental freedoms. Together, we can advance efforts to uphold democratic values in the face of escalating challenges.
Aileen Calverley, Chair of Trustees of Hong Kong Watch, said:
“Our mission to safeguard human rights and democracy in Hong Kong has never been more urgent, especially following the Hong Kong government’s third round of arrest warrants and bounties against Hong Kong pro-democracy activists worldwide in December.
The solidarity and bipartisan support demonstrated during our meetings to champion human rights for Hong Kongers inspires hope for a brighter future for the Hong Kong people who remain in the city and those in exile in the US and around the world. We look forward to partnering with these critical US leaders in pushing for tangible action and amplifying the voices of those threatened by repression.”
香港監察赴華盛頓會晤美國國會議員 爭取兩黨支持檢視香港特殊地位、應對跨國鎮壓等議題
本週美國第119屆國會開幕，香港監察到訪華盛頓，與多位美國國會議員及議員辦事處職員展開高層會議，討論有關香港人權、《香港政策法》和香港政治犯困境的重要議題，特別關注釋放英國公民黎智英的迫切需要。
香港監察信託董事會主席Aileen Calverley和政策顧問Katherine Leung會晤了美國眾議院中國共產黨問題特設委員會（Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party）委員，包括民主黨眾議員Ritchie Torres和Seth Moulton。兩位議員都重申堅決致力應對中共侵害香港人權問題，並強調有迫切需要支援抵抗威權壓迫的港人。
另外，香港監察與以下國會議員辦事處職員會面：共和黨參議員Chuck Grassley、共和黨眾議員兼眾議院外交事務委員會印太事務小組委員會主席金映玉（Kim Young）、民主黨眾議員佩洛西（Nancy Pelosi）、共和黨眾議員Neal Dunn、共和黨眾議員Ashley Hinson、共和黨眾議員Ben Cline和民主黨眾議員Jake Auchincloss。我們的討論富有意義，突顯出各方獻身推動檢視香港特殊地位、應對跨國鎮壓，尤其是針對居美港人的鎮壓，以及提倡香港及離散港人社群人權。
香港監察團隊亦會見了美國參議院外交關係委員會、國會及行政當局中國委員會（CECC）和國務院官員，強調美國有必要強而有力且緊急回應香港持續面對的危機。我們亦討論了對抗中共在印太地區挑釁行為加劇的策略。
香港監察感謝美國國會議員、議員辦事處職員和美國政府對香港人權和基本自由的承諾。面對日趨嚴峻的挑戰，我們齊心協力，就能推動擁護民主價值。