'HKNP Report Demand Is Unprecedented Interference'

The leader of the Civic Party, Alvin Yeung, said on Tuesday that Beijing's demand for a report into the ban on the pro-independence Hong Kong National Party amounted to "unprecedented interference".

Yeung said it was unheard of for the central government to get involved in a single domestic issue, with the ban a matter touching on freedom of association that should only be dealt with under Hong Kong law.

"We fear that this will open the floodgates and in the future Beijing could interfere with any other domestic issue," Yeung said.

He also noted that the move comes at a time when the US is paying extra attention to whether "One Country, Two Systems" is working and is considering whether Hong Kong should continue to be recognised as a separate jurisdiction from the mainland.

Chung Kim-wah, a political commentator from Polytechnic University, said he believed it was the first time Beijing had sent such a letter to a Hong Kong chief executive regarding a particular issue.

He added that he thinks Beijing doesn't actually want the report to find out more about the ban process, and the move is more of a political statement to show it backs the SAR government's actions.

However, DAB chairwoman Starry Lee said Beijing is just showing how much it cares about national security matters.

Lee's view was echoed by fellow pro-government legislator Priscilla Leung, who added that she thinks Beijing wants to find out whether Hong Kong's laws are sufficient to ban pro-independence activities.

"I believe it can convey a very clear message to the Hong Kong public, to the Hong Kong political circle as well as to the Hong Kong government, that we should really make our upmost effort not to allow any more pro-independence forces to grow in Hong Kong," Leung said.