January 1, Hong Kong Crackdown Puts Liberty On Trial

Wyatt’s Take

• Jimmy Lai faces life in prison for standing up to China.
• The West must act to defend freedom and call for his release.
• Sanctions and public pressure can fight Beijing’s crackdown.

Jimmy Lai, a self-made Hong Kong businessman, now waits for his fate after a trial under China’s harsh National Security Law. Lai’s life story is a testament to grit—rising from factory work to building his own business and launching one of Hong Kong’s biggest pro-democracy newspapers.

“I am one of the troublemakers. I cannot cause trouble and then leave.”

Even though he could have escaped, holding a British passport and homes abroad, Lai chose to stay and face the risk. He wanted to protect the freedoms Hong Kong once knew and bravely stood against Communist Chinese control.

Increasingly, Beijing has chipped away at the rights promised to Hong Kong. The National Security Law now brands dissent as a crime, with almost everyone taken to court being convicted. Jimmy Lai was arrested in August 2020 and has endured harsh prison conditions ever since, including solitary confinement and limited medical care.

The West can’t sit on the sidelines. Public figures from the U.S. and U.K. must speak louder for Lai’s release. Leaders in Britain especially have a direct responsibility, since Lai holds a British passport. They need to hold China accountable by reconsidering projects like the new mega embassy in London and expanding sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials responsible for the crackdown.

Stronger sanctions, tariffs, and restrictions on sending advanced technology to China could slow their aggression. These steps send a clear message that freedom matters. China claims outside involvement is meddling, but the world has a right to demand China keep its international promises to Hong Kong, written into the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

This fight is about more than one man—it’s a warning of how far China will go to silence dissent, at home and beyond. If the world just watches, no one’s rights are safe in the long run.

Source

Wyatt Matters

The struggle for freedom in Hong Kong is a lesson for all of us in Middle America. If we don’t defend liberty when it’s threatened abroad, we risk losing it here at home. Standing up for those who speak truth to power is what real grit looks like.