Will Andy Chan separatist saga force Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam to act on national security law?

As the row over Andy Chan’s call for independence rumbles on, pro-establishment camp calls for quicker action and tougher legislation, while city’s leader continues to wait for ‘favourable atmosphere’

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Protesters gather in Victoria Park in 2003 to protest against Article 23. The strength of feeling in Hong Kong forced the government to abandon its plans to enact national security legislation. The issue is not going away this time. Photo: SCMP

Published: 7:30am, 27 Aug 2018Updated: 1:28pm, 3 Oct 2018

The storm over a minor Hong Kong political party’s calls for independence has renewed demands from Beijing loyalists for a national security law, although observers do not expect such legislation to be proposed before 2020, or even 2022.

Since Hong Kong National Party (HKNP) leader Andy Chan Ho-tin repeated his party’s calls for independence when he addressed the Foreign Correspondents’ Club (FCC) earlier this month, the demand for the law to be made tougher has also heightened.

Up until now Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has remained non-committal on setting a timetable to reintroduce the controversial legislation, saying only that “a favourable atmosphere” would be necessary.

Carrie Lam continues to walk a fine line between calls for a national security law from the pro-establishment camp, and the knowledge that Hongkongers are still not ready for such a piece of legislation. Photo: Sam Tsang

But, analysts believe the current political climate has made it almost impossible for her to avoid taking action, although they feel Hongkongers would react badly to any new attempt to push ahead with a national security law.

It will be a political hot potato and, with citywide elections next year and in 2020, the pro-establishment bloc pressing for the law may find itself hardest hit, they said.

Several Beijing loyalists told the Post the time is right for a tougher piece of legislation to deal with activists such as Chan, who has been given until September 11 to persuade authorities to not ban his party.