美國國會及行政當局中國委員會星期二（9月17日）上午在華盛頓國會山，就香港動盪的局勢及美國政策回應等問題舉行了聽證會。獲得美國兩黨參眾議員支持的《香港人權與民主法案》是聽證會討論的焦點。香港Demosisto黨的秘書長、「雨傘運動」的領導人黃之鋒（Joshua Wong）和香港民主活動家及粵語歌手何韻詩（Denise Ho））出席了這次會議，並在會議上就香港的民主運動作證。以下為何韻詩在這次聽證會上發言的中英文全文。
何韻詩聽證會發言中文版
多謝麥克高文主席、魯比奧聯席主席及各位委員會成員舉行這個聽證會，也多謝你們在香港這個關鍵時刻邀請我來到這裏。我們希望我們的個人陳述能夠幫助您們審視甚麼事情是美國國會和美國人民可以幫助香港做的，特別是在我們的自由和自治在被侵蝕的時候。
至今已超過100天，香港青年帶領我們的城市進行這場歷史性的時代革命。這是一場「無大台」的運動，各行業各階層人士廣泛參與。這是爭取民主的抗爭、爭取人權的抗爭，而最重要的是，這是爭取普世價值和自由的抗爭。
最開始的時候，一百萬人出來遊行反對《逃犯條例》修訂，運動後來轉化成為堅定爭取香港政治制度根本性改革的抗爭。香港特區行政長官林鄭月娥的錯判和傲慢，導致北京政府對香港事務的全面控制，同時表現出兩地政府不願在香港全面實施落實「一國兩制」制度。
由於林鄭躲在警方後面幾個月，拒絕以誠意解決政治問題，她已經給予警察不惜一切代價鎮壓抗爭的絕對權力。
自6月以來，香港警方在無數次使用武力、逮捕和毆打和平抗爭者方面表現得極度殘忍。迄今已有1400多人被逮捕，甚至更多人（包括記者，醫護人員和社工）受到催淚彈、橡膠子彈、水炮和警察無差別地使用警棍的嚴重傷害。從個人角度來說，遠離家鄉並觀察人們遠離城市是非常難受的，特別是在過去的周末，我們看到警察行為失控。
可悲的是，年輕人被強力按在地上，頭部流血，腦部受重擊，有些甚至被打昏，但仍被警察阻止接受治療的現象，已成為一種新常態。
防暴警察和便衣警察在履行職責時一點也不克制。從最初的幾個星期開始，他們故意隱藏警號，甚至在（面對抗爭者）要求時仍拒絕出示委任證，因此公民無法核實便衣警察的身份，也不能讓任何警察對他們的違法行為負責。
上個月，一名擁有十枝觀星筆的大學生被捕並被拘留48小時。一個護士被布袋彈射爆右眼，右眼有可能永久失去視力。 8月31日，特別戰術小隊（速龍小隊）的警察衝進太子地鐵站，隨意毆打乘客。接著，他們關閉了車站24小時，拒絕為受傷者提供醫療服務，引起車站可能有人死亡的懷疑。他們最近被指控進入中學、商場和巴士，年輕人只要身穿黑衣就會被搜查甚至拘捕——即使警方根本沒有正當理由。
簡而言之，在我們今天的香港，年輕就是犯罪。我們現在正式成為一個警察國家，人們不斷擔心政治影響。
此外，在7月21日，在元朗地鐵站發生的一宗臭名昭著的暴徒襲擊事件中，警方未能及時抵達保護平民，警察在事件發生後39分鐘才出現，儘管有數以百計的緊急求助電話。類似的情況在後來的抗爭事件中也有發生，警方為暴徒和親北京的支持者提供優惠待遇，幫助他們在襲擊抗爭者後離開現場，這在在顯示出警方與三合會成員之間明顯的勾結。
8月11日，警方阻撓義務律師為新屋嶺控股中心的被捕抗爭者提供法律援助，侵犯了54人的合法權益。警察局內還有女性抗議者提出性騷擾，以及多次身體虐待的指控。
自7月以來，警方已經有系統地否決了超過30個集會，發出了反對通知書。其中包括8月18日170萬人民的集會，儘管警方發出禁令，抗爭者仍在和平地集會和遊行。根據香港《基本法》和國際標準，香港居民享有集會和示威的自由，和平的公共集會是公共空間的合法使用。香港政府禁止集會，實在是侵犯了人民和平抗議的權利。
隨著警方違規行為每天不斷地的累積，香港人一直要求成立一個獨立的調查委員會。行政長官林鄭月娥拒絕這樣做，聲稱我們「現時已有完善的（監警會）機制，正是為此而設立的」。這個現有的監管機構——獨立警察投訴委員會，實際上完全由行政長官本人任命，沒有法律權力傳喚證人，也沒有強迫警方提供足夠的文件的權力，因此無法為這種情況伸張正義。
這場抗爭始於一個《逃犯條例》修訂法案。但在核心問題上，它始終是這兩種截然不同的價值觀之間的根本性衝突：一方面是中國模式，它不尊重人權和法治，只需要人民的服從；另一個是一個多元城市，在其存在的大部份時間裏都享有這些自由，並對美國和其他西方社會所推崇的這些普世價值有著深刻的依戀。
不幸的是，隨著習近平獨裁政權的興起，「一國兩制」正在走向死亡。
香港代表著一種在世界上獨一無二的東西。作為中西文化的十字路口，其一方面深深紮根於亞洲文化，並以其價值觀和法治，透明的制度以及信息和言論自由而聞名。我們所代表的是隨著民族發展而與普世價值接軌、每個獨立個體無論身在何地都受到保護的希望。
這些保護措施是為甚麼超過1500家跨國公司選擇將其地區總部設在香港，而這些在港設立地區總部的公司最多來自美國。香港已成為全球互聯互通最具金融價值的貿易經濟體之一，通過金融和資訊、商品、思想、文化和人員流通，幫助各國更緊密地聯繫在一起。
但是，這個體系現在受到前所未有的威脅。像香港主要航空公司國泰航空（Cathay Pacific）這樣的公司已經屈服於政治壓力，由於他們的政治立場而解僱了數十名員工，其中一些僅僅是在Facebook的上寫了一言半語。
商界人士被迫做出政治決定。我們的地鐵公司由於中央媒體的壓力，故意在集會和遊行期間關閉車站，造成數百人被捕和不必要的傷害。
作為一名來自香港的歌手和活動家，我親身經歷了壓制。
自從2014年的「傘運」以來，我被共產黨政府列入黑名單。我的歌和我的名字都在中國互聯網上受到審查，我被黨國傳媒全面封殺。在中國政府的壓力下，贊助商紛紛退出，即使國際品牌也因為害怕與我聯繫而保持距離。在過去的五年裏，近期則更趨嚴重，中國試圖用他們的宣傳機器和抹黑運動使我沉默，他們甚至虛構一些完全是子虛烏有的消息。現在，我面臨來自共產黨政府，親北京支持者的威脅，並可能隨時被捕、被逼害。
我不僅在繼續在中國和香港的歌唱生涯中遇到了更多困難，而且自我審查現在已經蔓延到全球機構和城市。最近，由於「安全問題」，澳洲墨爾本國家勝利畫廊否決了中國藝術家巴丟草和我自己的合作活動場地。由於類似的原因，2019年加拿大滿地可的同性戀自豪大遊行找一些無關痛癢的理由禁止香港活動家。來自香港，台灣和中國的名人都被迫選定政治立場，在社交媒體上表達他們對北京政府的一致「支持」，並可能因為保持沉默而受到譴責。即使是香港新的非官方「國歌」的詞曲作者，也選擇保持匿名，因為害怕未來的報復。
現在，香港人持續生活在恐懼中，不幸的是，我們失去了大部份的自由。對於一個以政治冷感而名聲遠播的城市來說，儘管有越來越多的無情鎮壓，年輕一代已經承擔起保護我們家園的角色，勇敢地站在腐敗的體制前。
他們喚醒了其他香港人，我們一起對我們的持續抗爭感到震驚。
對世界其它國家而言，美國往往是自由和民主的象徵。
美國人享有的自由是香港人長期以來所希望的。儘管我們的語言和文化不同，但我們的共同點是追求正義，自由和民主。
通過香港面對的挑戰，西方正在意識到中國在全球範圍內的影響力。香港以多種方式（體制、社會、經濟、個人）與全球互聯，但中國正試圖孤立它以加強對其控制。如果香港淪陷，它很容易成為中國極權主義政權推動其海外規則和優先事項的跳板，利用其經濟實力使其他人符合共產黨人的價值觀，就像他們在過去22年中對香港做的一樣。如果美國及其盟友希望維持一個自由，開放和文明的世界，他們就應該對這發展感到害怕。
因此，我敦促美國國會支持香港，最重要的是，通過《香港人權與民主法案》。這不是呼籲「外國干涉」，也不是呼籲香港獨立。
這是對普世人權的呼籲。
這是對民主的呼籲。
這是對選擇自由的呼籲。
最後，容我引用你最鍾愛的第一夫人埃莉諾羅斯福的一句話：「你通過各種經歷獲得力量、勇氣和信心，你真正停下來看著臉上的恐懼。你可以對自己說，『我經歷過這種恐怖。我可以接受下一個挑戰。』」
這是一場對我們都珍惜的普世價值的全球抗爭，香港處於這場抗爭的前沿。我們曾經害怕沉默會帶來甚麼，此刻我們變得無所畏懼。
何韻詩聽證會發言英文版
Thank you Chairman McGovern, Co-Chairman Rubio and members of this Commission for holding this hearing, and for having us here at this very critical time of Hong Kong.
We hope that our personal accounts will be helpful in your deliberations on what the United States Congress and American people can do to help the Hong Kong people in face of the erosion of our liberties and autonomy.
For more than 100 days now, the Hong Kong youth has led our city into the historical fight of our times. It is a leaderless movement, with widespread participation from people of all walks of life. It is a fight for democracy, a fight for human rights, and most of all, a fight for universal values and freedoms.
What started out as a million people march against an extradition bill, morphed into a determined fight for a fundamental political reform in Hong Kong. Misjudgments and arrogance on behalf of Carrie Lam, the Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong, resulted in a total clampdown of the Beijing government over Hong Kong affairs, at the same time surfacing the reluctance of both governments in fully implementing the “One country, Two systems” in Hong Kong.
With Carrie Lam hiding behind the police force for months, refusing to resolve political issues with sincerity, she has given police full authority to suppress the protests at all costs.
Since June, the Hong Kong police has shown excessive brutality in their use of force, arresting and beating up peaceful protesters heavily at uncountable occasions. More than 1400 people have been arrested up to date, with even more (including journalists, first aiders and social workers) severely injured by tear gas, rubber bullets, water cannons, and the police’s indiscriminate use of batons. On a personal note, It has been extremely difficult to be away from home and to watch the people safeguard the city from afar, especially in the past weekend where we have seen police behavior getting out of control.
Sadly, it has become a common daily scene to see youngsters being pinned to the ground, with bleeding head concussions and some even knocked unconscious, but still refused medical care by the police.
Riot police and plainclothes officers have shown no restraint while performing their duties. From the early weeks, they have deliberately hidden their ID numbers, refused to show warrant cards even on request, therefore making it impossible for citizens to verify the legitimacy of plainclothes officers, nor to hold any police officer accountable for their violations.
Last month, a university student in possession of ten laser pointers has been arrested and detained for 48 hours. A first aider was shot in the eye by a bean bag round dispersed from above head level, risking permanent loss of sight. On August 31st, police from the Special Tactical Unit charged into Prince Edward MTR station, beating up passengers randomly. Consequently, they shut down the station for 24 hours, refusing medical care for those who were injured, raising suspicion of possible death in the station. They have recently charged into secondary school yards, shopping malls and on buses, where young people merely dressed in black clothing could be searched or even arrested without justified reasons.
In short, in our Hong Kong today, being young is the crime. We are now officially a police state, where people live in constant fear of political repercussions.
In addition, on 21st July, in an infamous mob attack that occurred in the Yuen Long MTR station, where a white shirt clad attacked civilians indiscriminately, the police failed to arrive in a timely manner, making their appearance only 39 minutes after the incident, despite hundreds of emergency calls for help. Similar situations occurred later in the protests, where police would give favorable treatment to mobs and pro-Beijing supporters, helping them leave the sites after having attacked protesters, showing clear and continuous collusion between police and triad members.
On August 11th, police obstructed pro bono lawyers from providing legal assistance to arrested protesters in the Sun Uk Ling Holding Center, violating the legal rights of 54 persons. There were also claims from female protesters of sexual harassment inside of the police station, and of physical abuses on numerous occasions.
Since July, more than thirty “no objection applications” for rallies and marches have been systematically denied, including the 1.7 million ppl rally on 18th August, where protesters gathered and marched peacefully despite the ban. According to Hong Kong Basic Law and international standards, Hong Kong residents have the freedom of assembly and demonstration, where peaceful public assembly is a legitimate use of public space. By banning the assemblies, the Hong Kong government is violating the people’s right to peacefully protest.
With police violations accumulating by the day, Hong Kong people have been demanding for an independent investigative council to be formed. The Chief Executive Carrie Lam has refused to do so, claiming we have “a well-established (IPCC), set up for exactly this purpose”. This existing watchdog, the Independent Police Complaints Commission, is in fact entirely appointed by the CE herself, has no legal power to summon witnesses nor to force the police to provide sufficient documents, therefore is powerless in bringing justice to the situation.
On its front, it all started with an extradition bill. But at the core, it has always been about fundamental conflicts between these two very different set of values : on one side, the China model, which has no respect over human rights and rule of law, and demands for their people’s submission. And the other, a hybrid city that has enjoyed these freedoms for the most of its existence, with a deep attachment to these universal values that the United States and other western societies are also endeared to.
Unfortunately, with the rise of the present iron regime of Xi Jin Ping, the “One country, Two systems” is racing towards its death.
Hong Kong represents something very unique in the world. As a crossroads that is strongly rooted in its own Asian cultures, and yet has come to be known for its values and of the rule of law, transparent institutions, and freedom of information and expression. We represents the hope that as nations develop, they will evolve towards these universal values which protect individuals everywhere.
These protections are why over 1500 multinational companies have chosen to place their regional headquarters in Hong Kong, the biggest proportion of these by country, from the United States. Hong Kong has become one of the most globally interconnected, financially important trading economies in the world, helping bring countries closer together through finance and today, the flow of data, goods, ideas, culture and people.
However, this system is now under threat like never before. Companies such as Hong Kong’s major airline Cathay Pacific, has succumbed to political pressure, firing dozens of employees due to their political stance, some only over a mere Facebook post.
Business people are coerced into making political decisions. MTR corporation, our subway system, has deliberately shut down stations during rallies and marches due to pressure from a state newspaper, resulting in more than hundreds of arrests and unnecessary injuries.
As a singer and activist from Hong Kong, I have experienced the suppression first hand.
Ever since the Umbrella Movement in 2014, I have been blacklisted by the communist government. My songs and my name are censored on Chinese internet, and I have been called out several times by state newspapers. Pressured by the Chinese government, sponsors have pulled out, even international brands have kept their distances in fear of being associated with me. For the past five years, and even more so recently, China tried to silence me with their propaganda machines and smearing campaigns, making claims that are completely false. Right now, I am facing threats from the communist government, pro-Beijing supporters, and could face arrest and prosecution at anytime.
Not only have I faced increased difficulties in continuing my singing career in China and Hong Kong, but the self-censorship has now spread towards global institutions and cities. Recently, the National Gallery of Victory in Melbourne, Australia, denied a venue to an collaborative event of Chinese artist Badiucao and myself, due to “security concerns”. The 2019 gay pride in Montreal, Canada, banned Hong Kong activists due to similar reasons. Celebrities from Hong Kong, Taiwan and China are all pressured into taking a political stance, voicing their unanimous “support” for the Beijing government on social media, and could be condemned for keeping their silence. Even the songwriter of the new unofficial “anthem” for Hong Kong, has opted to stay anonymous, in fear of future reprisal.
Hongkongers are now living in constant fear, and have unfortunately lost the most part of our freedoms. For a city that has been infamously known as politically indifferent, the younger generations have took up the role to safeguard our home, standing up courageously to the corrupted system, in spite of increased and ruthless suppression.
They have awakened other Hong Kong people, and together we have taken the world by surprise with our continued fight.
To the rest of the world, the United States is often a symbol of freedom and democracy.
The freedom Americans enjoy is something the people of Hong Kong have long hoped for. Even though our languages and cultures differ, what we have in common is the pursuit for justice, freedom, and democracy.
Through the challenges of Hong Kong, the West is waking up to China’s insinuating power in a global scale. Hong Kong is connected to the world in multiple ways (institutional, social, economic, personal), but China is trying to isolate it to exert control. If Hong Kong falls, it would easily become the springboard for the totalitarian regime of China to push its rules and priorities overseas, utilizing its economic powers to conform others to their communists values, just as they have done with Hong Kong in the past 22 years. The US and its allies have everything to fear if they wish to maintain a world that is free, open, and civil.
I therefore urge the US Congress to stand by Hong Kong, and most of all, to pass the “Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act. This is not a plea for for the so-called “foreign interference”, nor for Hong Kong independence.
This is a plea for universal human rights.
This is a plea for democracy.
This is a plea for the freedom to choose.
And lastly, may I quote Eleanor Roosevelt, your most beloved First Lady : “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.”
This is a global fight for the universal values that we all cherish, and Hong Kong is in the very frontlines of this fight. We were once fearful of what might come with our silence, and for that, we have now become fearless.＃
（轉自新唐人電視台）
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🏵️《九評》20周年
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