Bill Text: NJ ACR15 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Condemns Hong Kong national security law passed by People's Republic of China on June 30, 2020.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations Committee [ACR15 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-ACR15-Introduced.html
ASSEMBLY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 15
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman DAWN FANTASIA
District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)
Assemblyman MICHAEL INGANAMORT
District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)
SYNOPSIS
Condemns Hong Kong national security law passed by People's Republic of China on June 30, 2020.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
A Concurrent Resolution condemning the Hong Kong national security law passed by the People's Republic of China on June 30, 2020.
Whereas, Hong Kong and the People's Republic of China have co-existed under a "one country, two systems" political framework since the People's Republic of China resumed sovereignty over the region from the United Kingdom in 1997; and
Whereas, As part of but while still being independent of the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong has enjoyed a high degree of autonomy in all areas except foreign and defense affairs, and even has its own constitution, money, passport, immigration channel, and legal system; and
Whereas, This political framework has preserved Hong Kong's distinctive status, freedoms, and laws; and
Whereas, The people of Hong Kong have made global headlines for their pro-democracy protests, which were triggered by the introduction of an extradition bill introduced by the People's Republic of China in April 2019 and which are now focused on demanding amnesty for arrested protesters, an independent inquiry into alleged police brutality, and the implementation of complete universal suffrage; and
Whereas, The Hong Kong protests have escalated over the past year, and the People's Republic of China has blamed their continued existence on the interference and backing of foreign countries, such as the United States, and views the Hong Kong protests as concerted efforts to sow chaos and topple the ruling Communist Party of the People's Republic of China; and
Whereas, The People's Republic of China imposed a new national security law on June 30, 2020 on Hong Kong, entitled "The Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Jong Special Administrative Region," with the goal of stamping out opposition to the ruling Communist Party; and
Whereas, The expansive and draconian new law was passed swiftly and in secrecy, breaking with standard Chinese legal procedures when the public is able to view and comment on proposed legislation before its passage; and
Whereas, As a result of this secrecy, Hong Kong officials had no opportunity to provide input on either the drafting or passage of the new law; and
Whereas, The new law consists of 66 articles and lays out new crimes and punishments for vaguely defined acts of separatism, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign countries, with the maximum punishment for the most serious of offenses being life imprisonment; and
Whereas, Agencies and offices, such as the Committee for Safeguarding National Security which is an arm of the Chinese national security apparatus, are also to be established in Hong Kong under the new law and will have the power to collect intelligence in Hong Kong in total secrecy and will be shielded from legal challenges; and
Whereas, Finally, the new law allows the government of the People's Republic of China to target protestors, grants the People's Republic of China broad authority to intervene in Hong Kong's historically independent legal system, and targets certain institutions, such as schools, for tighter governmental control and oversight; and
Whereas, Arrests and detainments for violations of the new law have already been made, including the July 1, 2020 arrest of a man after he unfurled a Hong Kong flag during demonstrations; and
Whereas, Condemnation of such ambiguous and dangerous laws, which openly flout the democratic process and negatively affect public discourse and human rights, should come from every nation; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey (the Senate concurring):
1. The New Jersey Legislature condemns the Hong Kong national security law passed by the People's Republic of China on June 30, 2020 because of its effects on free public discourse and basic human rights.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate to the Office of the President of the United States, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United State Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Majority and Minority Leaders of United States House of Representatives, and every member of Congress from this State.
STATEMENT
This resolution condemns "The Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Jong Special Administrative Region" passed by the People's Republic of China on June 30, 2020.
Hong Kong and the People's Republic of China have co-existed under a "one country, two systems" political framework since the People's Republic of China resumed sovereignty over the region from the United Kingdom in 1997. As part of but while still being independent of the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong has enjoyed a high degree of autonomy in all areas except foreign and defense affairs, and even has its own constitution, money, passport, immigration channel, and legal system. This political framework has preserved Hong Kong's distinctive status, freedoms, and laws.
The people of Hong Kong have made global headlines for their pro-democracy protests, which were triggered by the introduction of an extradition bill introduced by the People's Republic of China in April 2019 and which are now focused on demanding amnesty for arrested protesters, an independent inquiry into alleged police brutality, and the implementation of complete universal suffrage. The Hong Kong protests have escalated over the past year, and the People's Republic of China has blamed their continued existence on the interference and backing of foreign countries, such as the United States, and views the Hong Kong protests as concerted efforts to sow chaos and topple the ruling Communist Party of the People's Republic of China.
The People's Republic of China imposed a new national security law on June 30, 2020 on Hong Kong, entitled "The Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Jong Special Administrative Region," with the goal of stamping out opposition to the ruling Communist Party. The expansive and draconian new law was passed swiftly and in secrecy, breaking with standard Chinese legal procedures when the public is able to view and comment on proposed legislation before its passage. As a result of this secrecy, Hong Kong officials had no opportunity to provide input on either the drafting or passage of the new law. The new law consists of 66 articles and lays out new crimes and punishments for vaguely defined acts of separatism, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign countries, with the maximum punishment for the most serious of offenses being life imprisonment. Agencies and offices, such as the Committee for Safeguarding National Security which is an arm of the Chinese national security apparatus, are also to be established in Hong Kong under the new law and will have the power to collect intelligence in Hong Kong in total secrecy and will be shielded from legal challenges. Finally, the new law allows the government of the People's Republic of China to target protestors, grants the People's Republic of China broad authority to intervene in Hong Kong's historically independent legal system, and targets certain institutions, such as schools, for tighter governmental control and oversight.
Arrests and detainments for violations of the new law have already been made, including the July 1, 2020 arrest of a man after he unfurled a Hong Kong flag during demonstrations. Condemnation of such ambiguous and dangerous laws, which openly flout the democratic process and negatively affect public discourse and human rights, should come from every nation.
