Mark L. Clifford: Hong Kong Kills the Rule of Law

By putting a bounty on the heads of democracy activists, Chief Executive John Lee has effectively murdered the rule of law.

By Mark L. Clifford

Hong Kong’s retreat from freedom has turned into a rout. The city’s Chief Executive John Lee announced bounties on the heads of eight Hong Kong democracy activists living abroad, pledging more than $1 million for their arrests. Lee, the territory’s top official, did not hesitate to pronounce the eight guilty. He warned that people should stay away from these wanted eight, calling them “street rats.”

I know these people. I can attest that in any free and open society they would be celebrated for their willingness to devote time and energy to making their city a better place. Among them are lawyers, former legislators, a businessman, a student activist, and a unionist.

The U.S. should ensure that Hong Kong will pay a price for continuing to trample on the freedoms of Hong Kong, a city that previously ranked as one of Asia’s most open.

The Bounty Eight are being threatened because John Lee and his Chinese Communist Party masters fear their embrace of freedom. They hate th…