Editorial | Move against masks cannot conceal need for political solution
- It is essential that a way be found to restore order in city, but it is unlikely new law will achieve that and such draconian powers must be last resort
Desperate times, it is said, call for desperate measures. The government’s use of emergency powers for the first time since 1967 is a drastic step in its attempt to end four months of protests and violence.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor stressed that a state of emergency has not been declared in Hong Kong. That was not necessary, she said, to invoke the Emergency Regulations Ordinance.
The colonial-era law, dating back to 1922, gives the chief executive sweeping powers, and it is being used to bring in a ban on wearing masks and other items covering the face during protests. It came into force at midnight and carries a jail term of up to a year.
The government has sensibly exempted from the ban those who need to wear a mask for safety while doing their job. This exemption must be respected by police, especially for the media.
Lam has been under pressure to take action to curb escalating violence during anti-government protests that have seen petrol bombs hurled at police and MTR stations vandalised. Police shot and injured a young protester this week after coming under attack.
There is an urgent need to find a way of restoring order, but it is unlikely the new law will achieve that. The government hopes it will end the violence by making it easier for police to identify and arrest offenders.