The U.S. Department of the Treasury on Friday announced sanctions against 11 individuals for “undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy and restricting the freedom of expression or assembly of the citizens of Hong Kong.”

The Treasury Department said recent actions taken by the People’s Republic of China “fundamentally undermine Hong Kong’s autonomy and democratic processes.” Treasury further said the imposition of this “draconian” national security legislation infringes on the rights of Hong Kong citizens, “allowing mainland China’s security services to operate with impunity in the region, mandating ‘national security education’ in Hong Kong schools, undermining the rule of law, and setting the groundwork for censorship of any individuals or outlets that are deemed unfriendly to China.”

As a result, Treasury said it is sanctioning the following individuals:

  • Carrie Lam, Chief Executive, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)
  • Chris Tang, Commissioner of Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF)
  • Stephen Lo, former Commissioner of HKPF
  • John Lee Ka-chiu, HKSAR Secretary for Security
  • Teresa Cheng, HKSAR Secretary for Justice
  • Erick Tsang, HKSAR Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs
  • Xia Baolong, Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council
  • Zhang Xiaoming, Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council
  • Luo Huining, Director of the Hong Kong Liaison Office
  • Zheng Yanxiong, Director, Office for Safeguarding National Security in Hong Kong
  • Eric Chan, Secretary General, Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the HKSAR

“The United States stands with the people of Hong Kong and we will use our tools and authorities to target those undermining their autonomy,” said Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons.

Jaclyn Jaeger is an editor with Compliance Week and has written on a wide variety of topics, including ethics and compliance, risk management, legal, enforcement, technology, and more.

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