Hong Kong Human Rights Group Sends Masks To Freehold Hospital

Gift is a ‘thank you’ for Rep Chris Smith’s work to protect Hong Kong’s freedom and democracy

*Four thousand masks were donated to CentraState Medical Center in Freehold by Amanda and Johnny Ho, and Andrew Duncan*

CentraState Medical Center in Freehold received a donation of 4,000 high-quality surgical masks on Friday, enhancing the safety of medical personnel treating COVID-19 patients.

The gift is from Amanda and Johnny Ho of Freehold and Andrew Duncan of New York City, Hong Kong Human Rights advocates who made the donation as a thank you to Congressman Chris Smith for his ongoing efforts in supporting freedom in Hong Kong from the oppressive Chinese government.

Anna Cheung, founder of New Yorkers Supporting Hong Kong (NY4HK) and the non-government organization Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC) in Washington helped organize the donations.

“We Hong Kongers are very grateful for Congressman Smith’s tireless work and support, not just for the Hong Kongers but the Chinese Dissidents, Tibetans and Uyghurs as well,” Cheung said. “We want to take this opportunity to thank Congressman Smith and the medical staff for their hard work.”

*Two thousand of the masks were donated by Amanda and Johnny Ho of Freehold, NJ, shown delivering the masks on April 10 at CentraState Medical Center in Freehold, NJ.*

“Thank you to Amanda and Johnny Ho and Andrew Duncan for donating these much needed surgical masks,” said Smith, Senior Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Co-chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC). “The staff at CentraState—who like other hospitals across New Jersey and across America—is working long hours at risk to themselves to protect those stricken by COVID-19. And I know that that the international Hong Kong community—who like Americans struggle to contain this outbreak—are our good friends. They face their own struggles with the outbreak and with China. For them to show this gesture to CentraState workers is very much appreciated.”

HKDC is a Washington, DC-based nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting democracy and human rights in Hong Kong led dominantly by people from Hong Kong living in the US. The group focuses on the challenges facing Hong Kong and US-Hong Kong relations and Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. Only last month, Smith was recognized by the HKDC for his years of work to enact the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019, which President Trump signed into law late last year.

Smith is a commissioner on the Congressional Executive Commission on China, which he chaired for two terms.