WASHINGTON—Addressing concerns that the Obama administration was selectively ignoring their ongoing demonstrations against the Chinese government, White House officials held a press conference Wednesday to reassure Hong Kong residents that their protest was just one of many issues the White House is currently keeping completely silent on. “While pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong may question why the United States hasn’t offered its unequivocal support, I want to make it clear to each one of them that their campaign is but one of dozens of important causes around the world that this administration is sidestepping,” said White House press secretary Josh Earnest, adding that demonstrators should not feel singled out or slighted in the least, as the president is presently neglecting to acknowledge a long list of issues with thorny political and economic ramifications, from dangerous working conditions throughout Southeast Asia, to oppression of women and gays in Saudi Arabia, to wrongful political imprisonment in Eastern Europe. “Our inaction puts the people of Hong Kong in good company with the subjugated populations of South Sudan, Eritrea, Central Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa, all of whom we systematically overlook. So, our message to the protesters is clear: You are not alone.” Earnest added that Hong Kong’s demonstrators could take pride in the fact that they are receiving the same amount of attention from the U.S. government as the pressing domestic issues of gun violence, environmental protection, and immigration reform.

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