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Senator Ben Sasse introduced a bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal to reporters and executives of the Hong Kong democracy newspaper Apple Daily, which ceased operations on Wednesday due to increasing pressure from the Chinese government .
Sass, a Republican of Nebraska, said in a press release that the men and women who run the “Apple Daily” are heroes. Let us be clear about why they only hold the last issue: their defense of freedom of thought and speech scares the Chinese Communist Party.
The newspaper has been repeatedly raided by the Chinese government. During long-term anti-government demonstrations in Hong Kong, the police confiscated reporters’ computers, frozen assets, and arrested several senior editors.
The “Hong Kong Democratic Congress Gold Bill” specifically named Apple Daily founder Lai Zhiying; executives Zhang Jianxiong and Zhou Daquan; senior editors Luo Weiguang, Zhang Zhiwei and Chen Peiwen, and senior commentator Yang Qingji.
The award will also recognize other staff working for the newspaper for their commitment to freedom and democracy in Hong Kong in the face of the tyranny of the Chinese Communist Party.
They bravely stood in the kangaroo court and told the truth,” Mr. Sass said. “The Apple Daily reporter exposed President Xi [Jinping] As someone who is afraid of someone he wants to suppress. The free world owes them our gratitude, and the least we can do is to award them the Congressional Gold Medal.
Mr. Lai was arrested in August last year on charges based on a widely criticized National Security Law recently promulgated by Hong Kong. The newsroom of Apple Daily was raided after he was arrested. He was sentenced to 14 months in prison for supporting democracy in Hong Kong.
The police arrested other executives and editors of Apple Dailys in a raid earlier this month. During the raid, the police also seized computers and froze US$2.3 million in company assets.
Mr. Yang was arrested on Wednesday. On the same day, Apple Daily announced that it would cease publication after 26 years.
The announcement is largely seen as a blow to freedom of speech, but also The Chinese government strengthened its victory in Hong Kong.
The White House issued a statement on Thursday condemning Beijing’s suppression of free speech.
The statement stated that Hong Kong people have the right to freedom of the press. On the contrary, Beijing denies fundamental freedoms and attacks Hong Kong’s autonomy and democratic systems and procedures, which is inconsistent with its international obligations. The United States will not shake our support for the people of Hong Kong and all those who defend the basic freedoms that everyone deserves.
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