My Take | The true purpose of banning the National Party
Despite the summer lull in local politics, there is a serious side to this unprecedented move by the government: it is to establish a legal precedent for future crackdowns
The furore over the banning of the secessionist Hong Kong National Party is what I call a good row. Everyone gets to prove their political credentials and feign outrage by taking a public stance.
The government needs to show its hardline bosses in Beijing that it means business when it comes to national security.
Having successfully jailed for years a bunch of localist rioters from the 2016 Mong Kok unrest, why not take on a fringe political outfit that advocates independence for Hong Kong and brand it “an imminent threat”?
Thankfully, that also gives our demoralised opposition something to get on their high horse about during this slow, hot summer.
Suddenly, party chief Andy Chan Ho-tin, who has mostly disappeared from media view, is treated like a celebrity – quite literally.