Washington: The administration of United States President Donald Trump on Friday slapped sanctions on Hong Kong’s chief executive Carrie Lam as well as 10 other individuals for, “undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy and restricting the freedom of expression or assembly of the citizens of Hong Kong,” according to a statement on the US Treasury’s website.
The blacklistings are being implemented under an executive order Trump issued in mid-July aimed at punishing China over a new sweeping national security law.
“The 11 individuals designated today have implemented policies directly aimed at curbing freedom of expression and assembly, and democratic processes, and are subsequently responsible for the degradation of Hong Kong’s autonomy,” the US Treasury statement said. “The United States will use the authorities in the Executive Order to continue to pursue those that implement these nefarious policies.”
Treasury accuses Lam of being, “directly responsible for implementing Beijing’s policies of suppression of freedom and democratic processes,” citing her support for a change in the territory’s extradition arrangements with mainland China that sparked months of massive protests in Hong Kong.