National security law: Hong Kong leader calls on opposition camp not to demonise legislation
- Carrie Lam says the government will explain the legislation’s details after it is drafted
- She rejects concerns that imposing the law will undermine the local judicial system
The law Beijing is imposing on Hong Kong aims to prevent, stop and punish secession, subversion of state power, terrorism and foreign interference in the city.
“Without any details about the provisions in the legislation, and how they are going to be applied, it is not possible and appropriate for me to express my opinion on comments made by my mainland counterparts, because I’m not a party to the lawmaking institution,” Lam said ahead of her weekly Executive Council meeting on Tuesday.
What does Beijing’s new national security law for Hong Kong cover, and who should worry?
But she sought to soothe public concerns by citing Deng’s remarks that the law would adopt the common law principles of presumption of innocence and non-retroactivity.
“Hong Kong’s authorities will implement the law in the end, and will use the legal system that people are familiar with. The procedures of the implementation and the source of power will be written clearly,” she said, adding her administration would further explain its details once it was drafted.
Lam also took aim at the critics of the bill, insisting it would be “constitutionally and legally in order” and should not be challenged by foreign governments.
She also said the bill had secured widespread backing in the city, by citing a petition launched recently by a pro-Beijing coalition, which said it had collected 3 million signatures in 10 days.
“I urge the opposition to stop demonising and stigmatising [the law], so as not to pit themselves against the people in Hong Kong,” she said.
“The common goal must be for Hong Kong to resume stability.”
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Security law opponents ‘enemies of the people’, says Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam
She added the law would target only a handful who attempted to undermine national security and that it was enacted to protect “the vast majority of Hong Kong people and their legitimate rights and interests”.
Lam also rejected concerns that the local judicial system would be undermined with the imposition of the law.
“This new piece of legislation will not change Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy, and will not affect judicial independence, including that of final adjudication,” she said.
Civic Party lawmaker Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu accused Lam of applying a double standard in claiming that the opposition camp was “demonising the new law”.
“We challenged the law because it’s uncertain and it lacks details,” he said. “When all top officials are promoting the bill without details, they fail to show Hongkongers how they are able to safeguard human rights, and it’s also unfair and illogical to criticise us.
“Is Carrie Lam demonstrating the new normal? That after the national security law is enacted, all voices from us will be seen as demonising the government?”
Her administration earlier “strongly condemned” calls from public servants to take part in the unofficial voting and warned that appropriate action would be taken if anyone violated the Civil Service Code.
Is Hong Kong heading for class boycotts and general strikes over the national security law?
“I think one has to look at the purpose of the strike: if it has nothing to do whatsoever with the workplace, with the members of the union voicing their concerns against their employer … it would not be covered by any constitutional protection,” she said, adding that there was “no such thing” as a legally-binding referendum.
On Monday, Michael Ngan Mo-chau, chairman of the union, had threatened legal action against authorities, saying labour laws had guaranteed the right of every employee to take part in trade union activities. His union did not have a default position regarding the national security law, Ngan added.