The National Anthem Law to be Enforced; Bypasses Legislative Process

(Editor’s Note: The National People’s Congress (NPC) passed the nationwide National Anthem Law in 2017 and listed it in Annex III to the Basic Law. According to the Basic Law Article 18, the nationwide laws, confined to those relating to defence and foreign affairs as well as other matters outside the limits of the autonomy, shall be applied locally by way of promulgation or legislation .

However, the National Anthem does not, in any way, land itself in the category of defence or foreign affairs. The NPC’s decision is undoubtedly undermining the autonomy of Hong Kong, just like what they did with the decisions and interpretations of the Basic Law.)

Pro Establishment Legislator: “the National Anthem Law” will be enforced regardless of whether or not it passes through legislative process.

Priscilla Leung, a member of the Committee for the Basic Law of the Hong Kong, claimed that pro-democracy legislators were attempting to cripple the Legislative Council House Committee in an effort to obstruct the National Anthem Law from being passed. The Business and Professional Alliance for Hong Kong (BPAHK) legislator also said that if the law cannot go through the local legislative procedures, it will have be enforced directly.

Leung said it is more befitting for Hong Kong’s political and justice system for a law to be passed through regular legislative process. However, should controversies arise regarding this law, the Common Law can be used to settle the difference in court.

She emphasized that enforcing the National Anthem Law is necessary because on numerous occasions, people responded to the Anthems with jeers in public. The draft for the bill has been reviewed by the relevant committees within the Legislative Council.

Source: RTHK
#10Jan #NationalAnthemLaw #Authoritarianism #BypassLegCo #CCP

#PoliceState #NationalAnthemLaw
A law enforcement with zero knowledge of the law:
Police debate with Long Hair over Public Order Ordinance

1059 | Admiralty Centre
Police officers claimed there were over 50 protestors in the area, but pro-democracy activist Leung Kwok Hung of the League of Social Democrats (LSD), pointed out there were only 7 in the area.

The commanding police officer later said although there were only 7 protestors, Leung’s comments were inflammatory, which is a threat to the peace.

While the police tried to argue with Leung over different sections of the Public Order Ordinance, who was in a judicial review lawsuit against it, the police used the terms “unauthorized assembly” and “unlawful assembly” interchangeably, which were two different criminal offenses, claiming any assembly of more the three people which refused to comply with the police is an unauthorized assembly.

After a discussion, the activists decided to leave.

Source: HK01 #May27