Yahoo News Mike Pompeo slams China's 'Orwellian' censorship moves in Hong Kong
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday lashed out at what he called China's "Orwellian" moves to censor activists, schools and libraries in Hong Kong under a new sweeping security law.
Authorities in the financial hub have ordered schools to remove books for review under the new law, which has criminalised certain opinions such as calls for independence or autonomy.
Libraries said they were pulling titles from a handful of pro-democracy activists.
"The Chinese Communist Party's destruction of free Hong Kong continues," Pompeo said in a sharply worded statement.
"With the ink barely dry on the repressive National Security Law, local authorities - in an Orwellian move - have now established a central government national security office, started removing books critical of the CCP from library shelves, banned political slogans, and are now requiring schools to enforce censorship," he said.
With the ink barely dry on the draconian National Security Law, HK authorities are now removing books from libraries, banning political slogans, and requiring censorship in schools. The U.S. condemns these Orwellian assaults on the rights and freedoms of the Hong Kong people.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) July 7, 2020
He condemned what he called the "latest assaults on the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong".
Until now, Hong Kong flourished because it allowed free thinking and free speech, under an independent rule of law. No more," Mr Pompeo said.
Beijing has faced a groundswell of criticism from primarily Western nations over its decision to impose the security law, which outlaws acts of subversion, secession, terrorism and colluding with foreign forces in Hong Kong.
US Vice President Mike Pence told CNBC last week that the security law was a "betrayal" and "unacceptable to freedom-loving people around the world".
Last week, the US Congress passed tough new sanctions targeting banks over violations of Hong Kong's autonomy.
The act would punish banks - including blocking loans from US institutions - if they conduct "significant transactions" with violators of Hong Kong's autonomy.
President Donald Trump must sign the legislation for it to take effect.
Mr Pompeo also said late on Monday that the United States is "certainly looking at" banning Chinese social media apps, including TikTok.
"I don't want to get out in front of the President (Donald Trump), but it's something we're looking at," Mr Pompeo said in an interview with Fox News.
