WASHINGTON (3 May 2024) – On the eve of World Press Freedom Day, the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK) Foundation staged large-scale wall projections on the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office (HKETO) in Washington, D.C.
The projections on the HKETO building called for the closure of the HKETO and the street in front of the office to be renamed “Jimmy Lai Way.” Over the past few years, the Hong Kong government has used its HKETOs across the world to portray a city of beauty and peace, and whitewash human rights abuses. More than 1,800 political prisoners sit behind bars in Hong Kong.
Last month, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Tom Suozzi (D-NY) introduced legislation, H.R. 8125, to designate the area outside the HKETO in Washington as "Jimmy Lai Way." Another bill, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Certification Act (H.R. 1103), seeks to remove the extension of privileges and immunities to the offices, and it was passed by the House Foreign Affairs Committee last December. It is waiting for a full House vote.
The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation’s U.S. Director, Jonathan Stivers, said:
“Beijing has dismantled Hong Kong’s autonomy in violation of its international commitments. There is now no justification for Hong Kong to have its own, separate diplomatic presence in the United States. Intensifying repression in Hong Kong, along with the passage the draconian Article 23 legislation, should lead to the closing of the HKETO in Washington, D.C. We call on Congressional leaders in the House and Senate to expeditiously pass the ‘Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) Certification Act’ to ensure that U.S. policy reflects the worsening situation in the once-vibrant city. Until the HKETO is closed, the CFHK Foundation will continue its activism against this repressive institution in the heart of the U.S. capitol.”