08.10.20

McConnell Condemns Arrest of Jimmy Lai

‘The Senate, the country, and freedom-loving nations across the world stand with Mr. Lai, and with all the peaceful demonstrators who have met the business end of the CCP’s repression.’

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Hong Kong:

“This weekend brought more unsettling news in the ongoing struggle for Hong Kong to preserve any shred of its civil liberties and self-governance.

“One of the region’s most prominent pro-democracy advocates, Jimmy Lai, was arrested yesterday for alleged violations of the so-called “national security” law imposed by Beijing.

“Last year, after an historic election that saw millions flock to the polls to overwhelmingly reject Xi Jinping’s preferred candidates, the Chinese Communist Party moved quickly to choke Hong Kongers’ free expression. Mr. Lai has been at the vanguard of the vibrant Hong Kong-based media and publishing world.

“He’s devoted much of his life to advancing precisely the sort of values that the CCP finds most repulsive -- the freedom of thought and the freedom of speech.

“The Senate, the country, and freedom-loving nations across the world stand with Mr. Lai, and with all the peaceful demonstrators who have met the business end of the CCP’s repression.”

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