'Dropping The Law Plan Would Be Dereliction Of Duty'

The sole Hong Kong member of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, Tam Yiu-chung, said dropping the planned new security law now would amount to a dereliction of duty and said the overwhelming support the proposal received in a vote shows it has the backing of the 1.4 billion people of China.

The decision by the National People's Congress (NPC) to impose national security legislation on Hong Kong has sparked widespread concern in the territory, with many worried that they may lose basic rights like freedom of speech and expression, and that it will undermine the SAR's status as a global financial centre.

Some opponents of the bill had also urged Beijing not to go ahead with the new law, as the United States warned that Hong Kong stands to lose its special trade status over the move.

But Tam, who along with some other delegates who briefed the local media on Friday, brushed aside the possibility of the NPC making a U-turn.

He said the fact that only one NPC delegate out of 2,885 rejected the plan means all 1.4 billion people in China fully support the law.

The DAB leader also said the fact that there were "rounds of loud applause" when a vice-chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, Wang Chen, made the proposal also shows how supportive people are of the bill.

He said dropping the plan now would amount to a dereliction of duty.

The standing committee delegate said if people have concerns about the new security law, they can convey it on the NPC website and he will relay them to the panel when it meets in late June to draft the exact wording of the legislation.

Tam also repeated the assurances given by other officials that people have nothing to worry about the new law and that it will only target only a small number of people who endanger the national security.

He said if people are indeed concerned, they can leave comments on the NPC website.

Asked if that platform alone is enough for the NPCSC to gauge public sentiment in the SAR, Tam said: “Right now we have this website, you can present your view to the website, if there [is] any other channel, I will tell you later.”

Meanwhile, a local deputy to the NPC defended her call for a special court to be set up to deal with security issues, saying it would be in line with the Basic Law, and that national security is a sovereign matter that needs special attention.

Maggie Chan also rejected suggestions that her proposal, which would prevent foreign judges from sitting in national security cases, could undermine judicial independence.

Other local NPC delegates such as Wong Yuk-shan, meanwhile, dismissed criticism from foreign countries that the national security bill could undermine One Country,Two Systems, saying Hong Kong affairs are "none of their business".