Letters | Freedom of speech should not apply to Hong Kong independence

Civil servants return to their offices in Admiralty on May 4. Reports that Hong Kong civil servants will be required to pledge their loyalty to the city have sparked concerns about erosion of their civil liberties. Photo: Nora Tam
I am writing in response to Fung Siu Chung’s letter on the freedom of speech for Hongkongers (“Freedom of speech should apply to all”, October 14). Fung argues that civil servants should be allowed to discuss politics or criticise governmental policies in public. While his opinion sounds reasonable, I think restrictions should apply to Hongkongers exercising their freedom of speech, and discussion of Hong Kong independence should not be protected under Article 27 of the Basic Law.

Hong Kong residents are guaranteed to have freedom of speech under Article 27. That is true, but if the contents of their speech involve criminal offences or illegal activities, that speech should not be protected under Article 27. For instance, if someone claims to have a bomb in their suitcase at the airport and gets charged with a bomb hoax, they cannot defend themselves by claiming freedom of speech.

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