H.Res. 930

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 930 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 930

Commemorating the 78th birthday of Jimmy Lai on December 8, 2025, as 
``Jimmy Lai Day'', for his role in advocating for free press, religious 
freedom, and democracy in Hong Kong, and calling on the People's 
Republic of China and Hong Kong authorities to release Jimmy Lai and 
all other Hong Kong prodemocracy advocates from prison.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

December 4, 2025

Mr. Moolenaar (for himself, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mrs. Kim, Mr. Carson, 
Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Wittman, Mr. Moulton, Mr. 
McCaul, Mr. Stanton, Mr. Miller of Ohio, and Mr. Suozzi) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

RESOLUTION

Commemorating the 78th birthday of Jimmy Lai on December 8, 2025, as 
``Jimmy Lai Day'', for his role in advocating for free press, religious 
freedom, and democracy in Hong Kong, and calling on the People's 
Republic of China and Hong Kong authorities to release Jimmy Lai and 
all other Hong Kong prodemocracy advocates from prison.

Whereas Lai Chee-ying (Jimmy Lai) was born on December 8, 1947, in Guangzhou;
Whereas, at the age of 12, Lai entered the territory of Hong Kong in 1959 as a 
stowaway on a boat, beginning work as a child laborer in a garment 
factory;
Whereas, in 1981, Lai founded Giordano, a clothing retailer that operated 
thousands of stores in over 30 countries;
Whereas, in 1989, the Tiananmen Square massacre and related protests inspired 
Lai to support Hong Kong's prodemocracy movement;
Whereas, in 1995, Lai founded the newspaper Apple Daily, with the inspiration to 
maintain freedom of speech in Hong Kong following the then-forthcoming 
handover of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China in 1997;
Whereas, on December 13, 2014, Lai was arrested for his role as a prodemocracy 
leader during Hong Kong's 2014 Umbrella Movement;
Whereas, on January 15, 2015, Lai's home and media facilities were attacked with 
incendiary devices, with the crimes being reported as an ``attack on 
press freedom'';
Whereas, on February 28, 2020, Lai was arrested for illegal assembly during a 
prodemocracy protest;
Whereas, on April 18, 2020, Lai was arrested for participating in a peaceful 
march from Causeway Bay to Charter Road in Central in August 2019 and in 
a National Day protest in October 2019;
Whereas, on August 10, 2020, Lai was arrested for ``fraud'' and ``collusion with 
foreign forces'' under the Chinese Communist Party-directed Hong Kong 
National Security Law over his advocacy for Hong Kong democracy 
alongside United States Government officials;
Whereas, that same day, over 200 Hong Kong police officers raided the offices of 
Apple Daily and arrested 7 senior executives of the media company for 
``collusion with foreign forces'' under the National Security Law, along 
with Lai's two sons;
Whereas, on December 3, 2020, Lai's bail was revoked, and Lai was arrested on 
spurious grounds for ``fraud'';
Whereas, on December 23, 2020, Lai was granted bail and placed under house 
arrest;
Whereas, on December 31, 2020, Lai's bail was revoked, and Lai was ordered back 
to prison, beginning his yearslong detention;
Whereas, on April 16, 2021, Lai was sentenced to 14 months in prison for 
``unlawful assembly'' during the 2019 protests;
Whereas, on December 13, 2021, Lai was sentenced to an additional 13 months in 
prison for ``inciting'' others to attend a Tiananmen Square memorial 
candlelight vigil in 2020;
Whereas, on December 10, 2022, Lai was sentenced to 69 months in jail over 
fraud;
Whereas, following the handover of Hong Kong and its establishment as a Special 
Administrative Region, it was guaranteed rights and liberties, a 
``capitalist system and way of life'', and a ``high degree of autonomy'' 
until 2047;
Whereas the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong Special Administrative 
Region governments in the ensuing decades have failed to deliver genuine 
universal suffrage in the election of Hong Kong's Chief Executive as 
guaranteed under Hong Kong Basic Law and eroded Hong Kong's autonomy by 
suppressing the freedoms of speech, religion, press, and assembly;
Whereas Hong Kong's autonomy from the People's Republic of China has been 
exceedingly dismantled, and its once-independent political and legal 
institutions now operate under tight control from Beijing with decisions 
increasingly directed by the central government that prioritize Chinese 
Communist Party concerns over the rule of law;
Whereas Hong Kong Special Administrative Region authorities have jailed nearly 
2,000 political prisoners for defending freedom and democracy since the 
outbreak of the 2019 prodemocracy movement;
Whereas the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong Special Administrative 
Region governments have systematically subjected Lai and other political 
prisoners in Hong Kong to prolonged solitary confinement, forced 
political indoctrination and psychiatric detention, physical and sexual 
abuse, and medical neglect, all of which constitute grave violations of 
international human rights standards and the fundamental dignity of 
individuals; and
Whereas systematic abuse in Hong Kong's prison system has severely impacted the 
health of Jimmy Lai, who suffers from diabetes and is in poor health: 
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the recognition of ``Jimmy Lai Day'';
(2) applauds Jimmy Lai and affirms its support for his 
courageous leadership in advocating for free press, religious 
freedom, and democracy in Hong Kong;
(3) condemns Chinese Communist Party and Hong Kong 
authorities for dismantling the freedoms, autonomy, and rule of 
law that were promised under international agreements and 
continuing to silence dissent, undermine judicial independence, 
and violate the rights of Hong Kong's people; and
(4) calls upon Chinese Communist Party and Hong Kong 
authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Jimmy 
Lai and all other Hong Kong prodemocracy advocates unjustly 
imprisoned for exercising their right to free expression.
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