Hong Kong national anthem law to punish only those who deliberately disrespect it, Carrie Lam says
City’s top official ‘can’t see’ freedom of expression fears as she reveals bill to be introduced during current Legislative Council term
Hong Kong’s top official on Tuesday said the city’s looming national anthem law would only seek to punish those who deliberately disrespect the song, and that there was no need to worry about breaking the law accidentally.
“Any deliberate act to insult the anthem would be unacceptable, but we would also make sure that [the law] complies with the city’s constitutional and legal systems,” she said.
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Lam said on Tuesday that her administration had begun work on the local version of the law.
The law would only forbid the deliberate insulting of the playing and singing of the national anthem
Article 15 of the mainland law states that “anyone who plays or sings the anthem in a distorted or disrespectful way” can be prosecuted.
Asked whether Hongkongers’ freedom of expression and artistic creativity would be compromised under the legislation, Lam replied: “The law would only forbid the deliberate insulting of the playing and singing of the anthem. I can’t see how this could be related to the city’s freedoms in any way.