A U.S. human rights organization called "Popular Resistance" has sent an open letter to the U.S. Congress voicing opposition to the passing of the so-called "Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019" by the U.S. House of Representatives.
The U.S. lower house passed the act, proposed by some congressmen, on Tuesday local time despite strong opposition from the Chinese government and several Americans.
Calling the act has moral hazard, Kevin Zeese, the author of the letter, wrote that the bill by the U.S. Congress is a degradation of civic processes.
He noted the passing of such a bill would not affirm, support or further human rights in Hong Kong and would even damage China-U.S ties.
The letter is entitled "Why the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 Must Be Opposed".
In the 4,000-word open letter, the author lists the core reasons for opposing the bill in detail, and points out the misunderstandings and biases of some American politicians on the Hong Kong issue. It also explains the causes of the violent demonstrations in Hong Kong.
Earlier, a CCTV reporter also sat down with Zeese to talk about his view of the U.S. legislation and his reasons for writing the letter.
"We are worried that the act will finally become a law... From a broader perspective, we are also very concerned about the national security strategy of the United States, because it focuses on the competition and conflict among the major powers."
The bill will need to make it through the U.S. Senate and be signed by President Donald Trump before becoming law. If passed, it will give U.S. more excuse to interfere in China's internal affairs.
Thus Zeese called on people to put more pressure on his country's senators to vote against the bill.
In his letter, Zeese outlined the history of Hong Kong. He believed it is due to the lack of understanding of Hong Kong's history that some Americans have wrongly interpreted the violent protests in the city.
He also said the level of democracy in Hong Kong is far higher than during the British colonial period and voiced support for Hong Kong police, saying their behaviors in dealing with the riots showed enough restraint.
"Compared to what we see in the United States... Hong Kong police have been very restrained," Zeese said.
The author also shared his concern that the passing of such a bill could damage China-U.S. relations. In the letter he wrote that the bill can push bilateral relations towards overt hostility and direct conflict.
