Letters | Why Hong Kong can’t have democracy without security law under Article 23

  • The absence of an anti-sedition law is the main reason Beijing has been reluctant to allow Hong Kong to freely elect its chief executive
  • Both Hong Kong and the mainland authorities should trust the city’s legal system to prevent abuses under Article 23 as well as any subversive activities

Opposition lawmakers raise protest slogans as Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam arrives at the Legislative Council on October 16 to present her annual policy address, which eventually had to be delivered via video. Photo: Reuters
To have long lasting peace, the Hong Kong government should examine the reasons behind the protest movement. Our political system has lost popular support due to its inability or unwillingness to address basic livelihood issues in Hong Kong – widening social inequality, unaffordable housing, diminishing economic opportunities for the young.

This is why people have demanded a legislature and a government that is more representative of the general population, and not just the elite.

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