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The measures taken by the Hong Kong government to ban an organization advocating the independent status of the city have been widely criticized as representing the end of its traditional freedom of speech and association.
The Hong Kong Police has collected more than 700 evidence documents "supporting their call to ban the Hong Kong National Party, citing numerous public speeches and comments made by its organizer Chan Ho-tin.
Deputy Commissioner Rebecca Lam said in a letter to the head of government security John Lee to social media by Chan late Wednesday that the party's goals of building a republic of Hong Kong and abolishing its mini-constitution, the law fundamental, are in violation of its first principle; Hong Kong is an administrative region of the People's Republic of China
In the letter, Lam lists the pro-independence activities of Chan, which include "infiltrate" secondary schools through the program "Political enlightenment" of his party, publish articles, participate in legislative council elections (LegCo), and various fundraising and campaign activities. years the streets of Hong Kong.
Lam's letter claimed that the HKNP had plans to achieve the goal of promoting localism and separatism. He therefore refused to exclude the use of force or civil disobedience
. The government should therefore "take precautionary measures" to prevent the Lam wrote: [TRADUCTION]
Chan said that the offer to ban the HKNP had little to do with the law, C & # 39; is a political movement that puts an end to freedom of speech in Hong Kong.
"Almost everything in their evidence file is what I said," Chan told FRG on Thursday. "We can see that it is the speech that is criminalized here."
"The freedom to participate in elections, freedom of speech and association are all fundamental human rights protected by the Basic Law, and all that I have done He said that the government does not Does not even need to promulgate highly controversial laws governing crimes such as subversion and sedition under Article 23 of the Basic Law. "They can simply use other laws to achieve the same goal, because there was too much reaction against the legislation of Article 23. "
An email to the office of Hong Kong Director General, Carrie Lam, asking for comments on the HKNP The Hong Kong government abandoned its initial attempt to introduce subversion and sedition laws as a result of a massive street protest of about half a million people in 2003, but the Chinese Communist Party in power refused to answer. said that he expects the administration to introduce a new bill to LegCo.
Criminalizing Speech
Hong Kong political commentator Sang Pu agreed with Chan. "19659002" this criminalizes the speech, and that says that something they do not like will be visited with the government's anger, "Sang told FRG." They can be turned into criminals. "[19659002] "This kind of thing would be unheard of under the authority of the law," said Sang. "There, the concept is that the speech must represent a clear link with the threat of violence."
By virtue of the Johannesburg principles adopted by the United Nations and governing national security and human rights, restrictions on the freedom of expression of national security are not legitimate if they seek to "entrench a particular ideology", rather than to ward off a violent threat of a military or internal nature.
"The Chinese Communist Party often speaks of stifling the signs of dissent in the world. bud, and that is exactly the same kind of thinking, of attitude and maneuvers that 39 they would use, "Sang said. "It is unthinkable that they have two or three policemen to visit Chan Ho-tin in the morning with a huge file of documents four inches thick."
The city's security secretary, John Lee, said on Tuesday police recommendation to issue an order to ban the HKNP from operating in the city under the ordinance on companies.
The law states that the police may recommend such action if it considers that such action is necessary in the interest of national security. or public security, public order or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others, "the Hong Kong government said in a statement posted on its website on Tuesday.
The HKNP has 21 days to present written arguments against the proposed ban
UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office worries about steps taken to ban HKNP
"UK does not support Hong Kong's independence, but Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy, rights and freedoms According to Ted Yoho, chairman of the Asia-Pacific subcommittee of the US House of Representatives, he agrees that the proposed ban is entirely political. "When you have a dictator, President or President Xi Jinping or want to call him, you find someone who will undermine the opposition, make the opposition party illegal. "Yoho said. The comments to the cantonal service of RFA Thursday.
"They are scared, and they feel uncomfortable because they do not want the people of Hong Kong to have more rights, they want Hong Kong to be assimilated to China," he said.
Reported by Lam Kwok-lap for the Cantonese Service of FRG, and by Gao Feng for the Mandarin Service, translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
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