Gov’t condemns strike call

June 7, 2020

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today strongly condemned the call by a group for holding a strike and class boycott as a referendum to oppose the National People's Congress’ (NPC) decision on the national security law in Hong Kong.

 

In a statement, the Hong Kong SAR Government appealed to the public for their full understanding and staunch support for the legislation of the national security law in the city.

 

The statement said Hong Kong is an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China and a local administrative region that comes directly under the Central People’s Government and enjoys a high degree of autonomy.

 

Safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests is the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s constitutional requirement as well as the Hong Kong SAR Government’s duty and is also in the interest of all Hong Kong residents.

 

The constitutionality, lawfulness and reasonableness of formulating at the national level the legal framework for national security for the Hong Kong SAR is beyond doubt.

 

The law for the Hong Kong SAR to safeguard national security, to be introduced by the NPC Standing Committee as authorised under the decision, targets four types of activities or acts that seriously jeopardise national security.

 

They are secession, subversion, organising and carrying out terrorist activities as well as interference in the Hong Kong SAR’s affairs by foreign and external forces.

 

Such laws target the very small minority of people who participate in acts or activities which seriously undermine national security. They will not affect the legitimate rights and freedoms enjoyed by the vast majority of Hong Kong residents under the law, including freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of demonstration and of procession.

 

Moreover, the national security law will better maintain safety and stability in society and ensure that Hong Kong becomes a safer and more stable city, making it conducive to maintaining a favourable environment for business and investment.

 

All relevant law enforcement will be conducted strictly in accordance with the law as well as statutory powers and procedures.

 

The statement noted that since last year, some people have been advocating openly for Hong Kong independence, self-determination and referendum, participating in acts of secession or activities which clearly undermine national unity as well as challenge the Basic Law and “one country, two systems”.

 

Such acts and activities not only undermine the rule of law and order in Hong Kong but also jeopardise national sovereignty, security and development interests.

 

Furthermore, some organisations have continuously incited students and the young to perform illegal acts. Many young people have thus been arrested and jailed, with their future seriously affected.

 

The Basic Law and Hong Kong’s legal system do not provide for any referendum mechanism. Conducting any form of a so-called referendum will have no constitutional basis or legal effect. Holding a strike and a class boycott as a referendum is obviously taking advantage of students for political purposes.

 

The statement said all of society should dissociate themselves from any organisation which has repeatedly used schools as venues for expressing political demands, and even intentionally misleading or inciting students, especially primary and secondary school students, to take part in such meaningless activities as holding so-called strikes or class boycotts as a referendum.

 

It called on parents and teachers to better protect the next generation, to urge young children and students not to participate in such activities and work together in preventing politics and fallacies from invading schools.

 

The statement reiterated that the Hong Kong SAR Government firmly supports and fully co-operates in implementing work relating to the decision passed by the NPC, adding that no person or organisation will succeed in intimidating the Hong Kong SAR Government by extreme means.

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