HKSAR Legislative Council resumes 2nd reading debate on National Anthem Bill

The Legislative Council of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Wednesday resumed the second reading debate on the National Anthem Bill and will continue the debate on Thursday as the procedure is not finished.

Martin Liao Cheung-kong, chairman of the LegCo committee responsible for the bill, said at the meeting that the national anthem is the national symbol and sign according to the Constitution and Hong Kong bears the constitutional responsibility for the legislation, which implies the importance of respecting the national anthem.

"We lawmakers should review the bill rationally and should not politicize it," Liao said.

Lawmaker Tony Tse Wai-chuen said many Western countries have passed such legislation to protect their national flag, emblem and anthem and have made deliberate insults to national symbols a criminal offence.

The bill is aimed at safeguarding national dignity, rather than limiting the freedom of speech and thought.

Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR government Matthew Cheung said at a press briefing on Wednesday that Hong Kong is an inalienable part of China and also stressed Hong Kong's constitutional responsibility for enacting the related law to the national anthem.

Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs of the HKSAR government Erick Tsang said the main spirit of the bill is to let Hong Kong citizens respect the national anthem.

Hong Kong will make steady social and economic progress when national security is safeguarded, and social order and security are guaranteed, Tsang said.

China's National Anthem Law came into force in the mainland in 2017 and then the Standing Committee of the 12th National People's Congress adopted the decision to add the law to Annex III to the HKSAR Basic Law.

In accordance with Article 18 of the Basic Law, the national laws listed in Annex III to the Basic Law shall be applied locally by way of promulgation or legislation by the HKSAR.

The HKSAR government started to push for the legislation at the beginning of 2018 and the LegCo finished the first reading and entered the second reading in January 2019. The second reading that should be resumed in June 2019 had been postponed due to social unrest and the deadlock in the LegCo's House Committee.

China's National Flag Law and National Emblem Law were included in Annex III to the Basic Law in 1997. The National Flag and National Emblem Ordinance of the HKSAR took effect on July 1, 1997.