{"id":2163836,"date":"2024-01-31T11:27:01","date_gmt":"2024-01-31T16:27:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/red-chinas-hong-kong-crackdown-is-about-to-get-much-worse\/"},"modified":"2024-01-31T11:29:14","modified_gmt":"2024-01-31T16:29:14","slug":"red-chinas-hong-kong-crackdown-is-about-to-get-much-worse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/red-chinas-hong-kong-crackdown-is-about-to-get-much-worse\/","title":{"rendered":"Hong Kong&#8217;s crackdown by Red China is set to worsen"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fred-chinas-hong-kong-crackdown-is-about-to-get-much-worse%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2163836&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<figure><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Hong Kong leaders backed by\u2063 Red China\u2019s communist party\u2063 (CCP) are planning to accelerate their crackdown on basic freedoms throughout \u200dthe city, government officials announced on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>Hong Kong Chief \u2062Executive John \u200cLee\u200d revealed\u2062 that the city would be expanding upon \u200ca <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2020\/07\/01\/freedom-fighters-flee-as-hong-kongs-new-security-law-hands-the-city-to-the-communist-party\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">national security\u2062 law<\/a> passed by\u2063 Beijing in 2020 that effectively stripped\u200d Hong Kong of its \u2063status as a semi-autonomous region. The law criminalized many basic protest activities,\u2062 such as classifying &#8220;groups speaking\u200c of potential independence&#8221; as guilty of &#8220;subversion.&#8221; Activities deemed to involve \u200b&#8221;secession,&#8221; &#8220;terrorism,&#8221; and &#8220;collusion with foreign forces&#8221; were also outlawed, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/hong-kong-moves-to-tighten-national-security-laws\/a-68117923\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">all<\/a> of which &#8220;carry a range of sentences up to \u2062life \u200bimprisonment.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/english.kyodonews.net\/news\/2024\/01\/92d3ce7ce26c-hong-kong-unveils-legislation-to-supplement-national-security-law.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kyodo News<\/a>, Lee&#8217;s proposed legislation would build upon China&#8217;s overreaching edict\u2063 by criminalizing so-called &#8220;treason and theft \u200bof state\u2064 secrets.&#8221; It\u200d would also institute a prohibition on orchestrating \u200cso-called &#8220;political activities&#8221; \u2064and bar \u200clocal groups from &#8220;establishing ties with them, a\u2064 move designed to further crack down\u200b on dissent in Hong Kong.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Public comment\u200d on the proposal is open until Feb. 28, when the city&#8217;s Legislative Council\u2063 \u2014 which\u2064 is filled with CCP loyalists \u2014 seeks to finalize it before the body&#8217;s session \u200bends in July.<\/p>\n<p>Tuesday&#8217;s announcement represents\u200d the latest attempt by Hong Kong officials to further \u2063suppress basic freedoms across the city. In 2019, the Beijing-backed government&#8217;s \u2063introduction of a controversial extradition law led to <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2019\/10\/15\/be-brave-be-water-be-ready-three-days-among-the-freedom-protesters-in-hong-kong\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">citywide protests<\/a> and \u200cthe CCP&#8217;s subsequent passage of the\u2063 aforementioned\u200c national security law the following year. To further squash dissent, Hong Kong authorities employed the new dictate to <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2021\/07\/22\/hong-kong-police-arrest-and-charge-four-more-pro-democracy-journalists-with-collusion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/top-biden-allies-worked-for-group-with-close-ties-to-chinese-communist-party\/\" title=\"Top Biden Allies Worked for Group With Close Ties to Chinese Communist Party\">arrest pro-democracy journalists<\/a><\/a> \u200d and <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2021\/12\/30\/hong-kong-news-outlet-forced-to-close-following-staff-arrests-police-raid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">force several media outlets to\u200b cease operations<\/a>, \u200ceffectively destroying the city&#8217;s free \u2063press.<\/p>\n<p>Government\u2064 officials also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/09\/24\/world\/asia\/hong-kong-elections.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">overhauled the region&#8217;s election \u2063systems<\/a>, wherein only &#8220;patriots&#8221; who have \u200ddemonstrated their loyalty to the Chinese government are permitted to run\u2063 for public office. Authorities also <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2022\/07\/13\/hong-kong-uses-covid-excuse-to-extinguish-citizens-last-remaining-freedoms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">used<\/a> the outbreak of Covid as an excuse to implement a CCP-style tracking system to further diminish what few freedoms residents possessed.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>Shawn\u200b Fleetwood is a staff\u2063 writer for \u200cThe Federalist\u2064 and \u2062a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer \u200cfor Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, \u200dRealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow\u200c him \u2064on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-image data-amount=\"5\">\n<h2>Popular<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\"><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What concerns arise from the criminalization of &#8220;treason and\u200b theft of state\u200d secrets&#8221; and the prohibition of &#8220;political activities&#8221; in Hong Kong, and how do these restrictions curtail freedom\u2062 of association \u2062and expression<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Lowing year\u200c sparked international condemnation. These actions\u200d have resulted in a significant erosion of the rights and freedoms that were once enjoyed by the people of Hong Kong.<\/p>\n<p>The\u200d proposed legislation, if implemented, would further tighten the grip of the \u200bChinese Communist Party on the city and limit the\u200c ability\u200d of its residents\u2064 to\u2063 express their opinions and engage in political activities. Under the pretext\u2063 of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ukraine-invasion-sanctions-will-see-russian-economy-shrink-by-35-percent-jp-morgan\/\" title=\"Ukraine Invasion Sanctions Will See Russian Economy Shrink by 35 Percent: JP Morgan\">maintaining national security<\/a>, the \u200bgovernment aims to stifle any form of dissent and enforce strict control over the population.<\/p>\n<p>One of the most concerning aspects of the proposed legislation is \u2062the criminalization of &#8220;treason and theft \u200cof state \u200csecrets.&#8221; This vague and broad definition leaves room\u200c for\u200c arbitrary interpretation and \u2062abuse by the authorities. It raises serious concerns about the potential for political persecution and violation of human rights in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the prohibition on &#8220;political activities&#8221; and restrictions on establishing ties with foreign groups further curtail the freedom of association and expression. It effectively isolates the \u2063people of Hong Kong from the international community and prevents \u200cthem from engaging in meaningful dialogue and advocacy for their rights.<\/p>\n<p>The fact that the \u2062Legislative Council, dominated by CCP loyalists, seeks\u200c to\u200d rush the \u2063finalization of this legislation\u200b without proper public consultation only exacerbates concerns about the erosion of democratic processes and the suppression of dissenting voices. It reflects a lack of respect for the opinions and concerns of the people of\u200c Hong Kong.<\/p>\n<p>The international community must \u200d<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pull-up-your-pants-don-lemons-advice-to-black-community-has-changed-a-lot-since-2013\/\" title=\"\u201cPull Up Your Pants!\u201d Don Lemon\u2019s Advice To Black Community Has Changed A Lot Since 2013\">pay close attention<\/a> \u2062to the developments in Hong Kong and stand firmly in support of\u2062 the city&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pro-hong-kong-messages-destroyed-vandalized-at-cornell-university\/\" title=\"Pro-Hong Kong Messages Destroyed, Vandalized At Cornell University\">pro-democracy movement<\/a>. It is crucial that governments and organizations around the \u2062world condemn these draconian measures and exert pressure on the Chinese government to respect the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2064 erosion of basic freedoms in Hong Kong not only violates \u2062the principles of human rights and democracy\u2064 but also undermines the autonomy and\u200b prosperity of the city. It is imperative that we continue to shine a spotlight on these issues and advocate for the protection of \u2064the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hong Kong leaders, supported by China&#8217;s communist party (CCP), will intensify their suppression of fundamental liberties in the city. Government officials disclosed plans to further enforce a national security law, enacted by Beijing in 2020, which essentially deprived Hong Kong of its autonomy. Chief Executive John Lee unveiled the expansion on Tuesday<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":2163837,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/2019-09-15_Hong_Kong_anti-extradition_bill_protest_017.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2163836","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/2019-09-15_Hong_Kong_anti-extradition_bill_protest_017.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2163836","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/539"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2163836"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2163836\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2163837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2163836"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2163836"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2163836"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}