Beijing Orders CE To Submit A Report On HKNP Ban

The Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Tuesday announced that Beijing has backed her administration's ban on the pro-independence Hong Kong National Party (HKNP), but revealed that the central government has ordered her to submit a report on the decision.

Lam parried questions as to whether the order amounts to interference by the central government in local affairs, saying the move is nothing unusual because the issue involves national security and that it's legitimate for the central government to ask for a report.

"We have invoked local legislation to prohibit the operation of the Hong Kong National Party. And we have completed every step of the process, leading to the dismissal of the appeal by the Chief Executive-in-Council," Lam said.

"So for the CPG [Central People's Government] to issue a letter, and by the way it is a public letter, to me at this juncture to demonstrate support ... to actions taken by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, I think it is only legitimate," she said.

Lam said she intends to make public the report but she is seeking legal advice.

The SAR government had banned the pro-independence party from operating, based on the Societies Ordinance, on September 24 last year. The party's convenor, Chan Ho-tin, had appealed against the decision and the Chief Executive-in-Council rejected his plea last week.