US sanctions Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam over democratic crackdowns

Washington (CNN)The US sanctioned Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Friday for her role in crackdowns on political freedom in the region.

Sanctioning Lam is a significant escalation, experts say. Friday's action against Lam and ten others is likely to further inflame tensions between Washington and Beijing. It is the latest move in response to China's imposition of a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong that criminalizes secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign interference.
"The 11 individuals designated today have implemented policies directly aimed at curbing freedom of expression and assembly, and democratic processes, and are subsequently responsible for the degradation of Hong Kong's autonomy," the US Treasury Department said in a statement Friday.