Hong Kong’s government is to give “priority” to a contentious bill that seeks to criminalize abuse of the Chinese national anthem, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam (林鄭月娥) said yesterday, days after a pro-Beijing lawmaker wrested control over a key committee that vets bills.
The proposed law is aimed at ensuring that Hong Kong residents respect China’s national anthem. Under the bill, those who use the anthem for commercial purposes, or publicly and intentionally insult the anthem, such as booing it during soccer games, could face fines of up to HK$50,000 (US$6,451) and up to three years in prison.
The move comes as differences between the pro-Beijing and pro-democracy camps in Hong Kong were sharpened during months-long protests last year that were sparked by an attempt to pass a bill that would have allowed suspects to be extradited to mainland China to face trials. That bill was eventually withdrawn.
Photo: AFP
Lam said the chief secretary and other officials have written to Hong Kong Legislator Starry Lee (李慧瓊), who has inserted herself as chair of the Legislative Council’s House Committee — which scrutinizes bills and decides when they can be sent for a final vote — to consult with her on the resumption of second readings of bills.
“Two of the bills have been delayed for a very long time, and they are the national anthem bill and the patents amendment bill,” Lam told a news conference. “So we do expect these two bills to be given priority in the resumption of second readings by the Legislative Council.”
The anthem bill was first proposed in January last year, after Hong Kong spectators jeered at the Chinese national anthem during several high-profile, international soccer matches in 2015.
Separately, Hong Kong Police Commissioner Chris Tang (鄧炳強) yesterday said that his officers should have been more professional in dealing with media during protests at which journalists were pepper-sprayed and made to kneel in a cordoned-off area.
Police arrested about 230 people at the Sunday protests in which hundreds gathered in shopping malls to sing and chant pro-democracy slogans, defying a ban on groups of more than eight, aimed at reining in the spread of COVID-19.
“Regarding the media experience on that day, I also think it’s undesirable,” Tang told a district council meeting. “I think we need to review, and even look into, what happened at that time. I also think we should have been more professional.”
Police had fired pepper spray and run stop-and-search operations on the public and media, with the Hong Kong Journalists’ Association saying filming by some media was blocked.
Video images posted online showed police pushing journalists, as well as dozens of people, some in yellow vests with press markings, being forced to kneel on a sidewalk behind a police cordon.
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