• Tweeter
  • republish

Several representatives of the Hong Kong protest were received by the US Congress on September 17, 2019. REUTERS / Joshua Roberts

Joshua Wong, Denis Ho and other Hong Kong pro-democracy activists were received by the members of the bipartisan commission on the human rights situation in China on Tuesday, 17 September.

With our correspondent in Washington , Anne Corpet

Hong Kong's pro-democracy militant anthem was sung in the corridors of Congress on Tuesday. The representatives of the protesters of the territory came to plead for a bill that would condition the maintenance of the special economic status of Hong Kong to respect human rights.

The text also provides for sanctions against any official who suppresses essential freedoms in the territory. A text perceived as a threat by Beijing, but that Denise Ho, pop singer and muse of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong considers necessary.

" If Hong Kong falls, it could easily become a stepping stone for the Chinese totalitarian regime to impose its rules and priorities abroad, using its economic power to convert others to its communist values. I therefore urge Congress to adopt the law on democracy and human rights in Hong Kong. This is not a call for so-called foreign interference. It is a call for democracy. "

Appeal heard by Senator Marco Rubio, close to Donald Trump and bearer of the bill. " The US government and other democracies must hold Beijing accountable for failing to honor the commitments. The United States and other nations can act, precisely because Beijing enjoys the special status of Hong Kong . "

But the US president remains remarkably discreet about the crisis shaking Hong Kong and has not committed to signing the text if adopted. Donald Trump fears that this will irritate Beijing and endanger the crucial trade negotiations with China.