S.Res. 821 — Introduced in Senate

III 117th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 821 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 29, 2022Mr. Cramer (for himself, Mr. King, Mr. Risch, and Mr. Padilla) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations RESOLUTION Condemning the arrest of Cardinal Zen in Hong Kong, and reaffirming the commitment of the Senate to supporting democracy, autonomy, religious freedom, and human rights in Hong Kong. Whereas, in May 2022, Hong Kong authorities arrested Cardinal Zen, a 90-year-old bishop emeritus of Hong Kong and outspoken critic of China’s ruling Communist Party, on spurious charges, accusing him and four others of violating China’s national security by colluding with foreign forces, as well as for allegedly failing to register a fund established to assist people arrested in the mass anti-government protests that began in 2019; Whereas China imposed a so-called national security law in 2020, effectively crushing Hong Kong’s opposition movement, overhauling its electoral system to provide Beijing with even more control, silencing free media, and crippling its once-vibrant civil society; Whereas hundreds of protestors, activists, and former opposition lawmakers have been arrested since the national security law came into force; Whereas Hong Kong is devolving into an increasingly repressive society where no one resisting government tyranny is safe, including religious leaders and communities; Whereas, in 2022, the United Kingdom announced that two of its Supreme Court judges would no longer sit on Hong Kong's top court, as the threat to civil liberties and lack of judicial independence had made their role untenable; Whereas Cardinal Zen and five prominent pro-democracy campaigners have pleaded not guilty in court in Hong Kong for failing to properly register a humanitarian fund they established to help people arrested in anti-government protests in 2019; and Whereas the story of Cardinal Zen is only one of many such instances of religious persecution and infringement on democratic freedom in China and around the world: Now, therefore, be it That the Senate— (1) condemns the arrest of Cardinal Zen by the Hong Kong authorities at the behest of the Chinese Communist Party; (2) calls for all charges to be immediately dropped against Cardinal Zen; (3) reaffirms religious freedom as a fundamental right; and (4) urges the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities to cease targeting Hong Kong’s civil society actors and to immediately release and drop all charges against all political prisoners who have been unjustly detained and charged.