Pelosi Calls for Joshua Wong's Freedom on House Floor: “We Want to Be Sure That They Know We Remember Them”

Washington, D.C. - Today, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi delivered remarks on the House Floor calling attention to the ongoing persecution of pro-democracy advocates in Hong Kong, including Joshua Wong and Jimmy Lai, and urging Congress and the international community to demand their freedom.

In her remarks, Pelosi condemned Beijing's repressive national security law, warned that Wong could face life in prison for peacefully advocating for democracy and reaffirmed Congress' longstanding bipartisan commitment to defending human rights in China.

Watch Pelosi's Floor remarks here.(link is external)

Read Speaker Emerita Pelosi's remarks below:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to call attention to what is happening in Hong Kong, especially to Joshua Wong.

As a teenager, he led millions of people to the streets of Hong Kong to speak out for democracy and for freedom in Hong Kong-and for the Chinese government to honor its commitment to the Basic Law, which was the foundation of the 1997 transition from Great Britain to Chinese control over Hong Kong.

Speaking out for freedom should not be against the law.

Since the Basic Law, the Chinese government has passed a national security law that is anything but security. It is a repression law.

Under this law, Joshua Wong has pleaded guilty to speaking out for freedom. He said: 'Yes, I have done that.'

He can be sentenced to life-for speaking out for freedom.

This House and this Congress have always joined together in a bipartisan way for freedom-whether in Hong Kong, Tibet or elsewhere in China-for human rights in China.

Let us not forget Joshua Wong at this time, and let us not forget Jimmy Lai, who is at the other end of life.

[Joshua Wong] was a young teenager who was doing this, now in his early twenties. Jimmy Lai, meanwhile, could spend the rest of his life in prison.

We must speak out for freedom. We must not let this be ignored.

The most horrible form of torture that the Chinese government inflicts on these prisoners is to tell them: 'Nobody remembers you or why you are here.'

We want to be sure that they know we remember them.

I yield back.