HK security law nonnegotiable – Beijing
BEIJING: The central government authorities, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and Hong Kong Special Administration Region (HKSAR) government reiterated their strong support and unshakable will for the new national security law for Hong Kong.
Beijing said the law was imperative and nonnegotiable and warned the radical forces should not underestimate the determination of the central government, while anti- government and separatist forces are planning illegal protests and an assembly on Wednesday.
The bottom- line is clear: the central government would not tolerate any act of secessionism, subversion, foreign interference and terrorism, officials and observers said, claiming that any force — either in Hong Kong or overseas — needs to abandon the delusion of challenging the legitimacy of the law, collective will of top-down authorities and sovereignty issue as China’s top priority.
Violent radical activities in Hong Kong that harm China’s national security will come to an end gradually with the progress of the national security legislation.
But before the legislation is finalized, resistance from extremists, rioters and foreign forces will be more intense and frequent. So, the pressure on the central government and the HKSAR would remain heavy, analysts said.
The Liaison Office of the Central
People’s Government in the HKSAR in a statement posted on its website on Monday night criticized the illegal assembly organized by separatists and radical violent rioters on Sunday, which caused serious injuries, including to a female passer-by and a lawyer who tried to stop the rioters from placing an illegal roadblock to interrupt traffic, as well as four police officers.
“Many signs indicated that a group of extremists is planning larger illegal violent activities, and will vainly attempt to make the whole city ‘burn with them.’ We sternly warn these people and the forces behind them: do not underestimate the determination of the central government,” the statement said.
The central government “has been fully prepared to handle any complicated situation, and if these people insist on their acts arbitrarily, the only thing they will get is legal sanction!” the liaison office added.
The Chinese PLA Hong Kong Garrison firmly supports the draft decision to introduce national security legislation for the HKSAR and the garrison had the determination, confidence and capability to safeguard national sovereignty, security, development interests and long- term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, said Chen Daoxiang, the commander of the PLA garrison and a Chinese lawmaker, in an interview on the sidelines of the ongoing annual session of the National People’s Congress.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said at her weekly news briefing on Tuesday that the constitutional foundation of the national security law to be implemented in Hong Kong was solid and firm, and not in violation of the region’s Basic Law.
The national security legislation would greatly encourage law enforcement forces in the city, as well as patriotic and proestablishment groups, because they saw the central government playing a responsible role to firmly stay with them and showing no mercy to fight hostile forces that could harm Hong Kong, said Tian Feilong, a Hong Kong affairs expert and associate professor at Beihang University in Beijing.