Secretary Pompeo comments on Hong Kong in Press Remarks, November 18, 2019, Washington, DC
The United States is gravely concerned by the deepening political unrest and violence in Hong Kong, including the standoff between protesters and police at Hong Kong Polytechnic University and other campuses.
We have repeatedly called for restraint from all parties in Hong Kong. Violence by any side is unacceptable.
The Hong Kong Government bears primary responsibility for bringing calm to Hong Kong. Unrest and violence cannot be resolved by law enforcement efforts alone.
The government must take clear steps to address public concerns. In particular, we call on Chief Executive Carrie Lam to promote accountability by supplementing the Independent Police Complains Council review with an independent investigation into the protest-related incidents.
As the United States Government has said repeatedly, the Chinese Communist Party must honor its promises to the Hong Kong people, who only want the freedoms and liberties that they have been promised in the Sino-British Joint Declaration, a UN-filed treaty.