Former Soviet dissident urges Biden to voice support for Jimmy Lai and Hongkongers
In an op-ed on Washington Post, Natan Sharansky, a human rights activist from Israel and former political prisoner in the Soviet Union, called on U.S. presidential-elect Joe Biden to publicly support Jimmy Lai, founder of Apple Daily who was remanded in custody and accused of colluding with foreign forces.
The 72-year-old, who has spent nine years in Soviet gulag on a fabricated charge of espionage, described Lai as “one of Hong Kong’s most prominent democracy advocates” and has been targeted repeatedly by the Chinese and Hong Kong governments.
Lai’s recent arrest as well as the escalation in crackdown of opposition figures are timed to “exploit Americans’ distraction during the presidential transition,” he said in the piece published on Sunday.
Sharanksy noted that there are tweets in support of Lai from U.S. officials of both the Trump administration and the incoming Biden administration, but tweeting alone is not enough.
“A stronger, more vocal show of support would be best if it came from the person who will soon occupy the Oval Office,” he wrote, adding such a statement of support will bring benefits by putting the regime on alert and strengthening the resolve of those fighting for liberty.
Sharanksy also used his own experience as an example, citing President Jimmy Carter’s public promise in 1977 to seek the release of Soviet dissidents. “It electrified those of us in the Soviet dissident community, fortifying our struggle and confirming its significance on the international stage,” he wrote.
By cracking down on activists in Hong Kong, China is acting just like the Soviet Union at the time. The country is also testing the West’s reaction to its move to see how much it can get away with, he said, describing the mass detention camp of Uyghurs in Xinjiang as China’s own version of Soviet gulag.
He called Lai “a brave man.” “And that while your body may be shackled, in prison your spirit can roam free,” he wrote.
He suggested the new U.S. Congress start with a joint resolution to guarantee Hong Kong’s freedom and make it clear to Beijing that its attacks on Hong Kong will affect its trade and diplomatic initiatives.
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