Executive Councilor Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung hopes the national security law for Hong Kong will wipe out the offenses of secession, terrorism and collusion with external forces in the city as soon as it comes into effect.
He noted that people in the opposition camp have been on edge ever since Beijing announced last month its proposal for the legislation to proscribe four types of crimes that also include subversion of State power.
What the opposition camp did in the past few years has sparked huge resentment from most Hong Kong residents
Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung,
executive councilor
Lam is also a legislator who represents the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and is the vice-chairman of the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong, the second-largest political party in the Legislative Council.
He said the business sector at large, including foreign businessmen operating in Hong Kong, welcomes the national security legislation that the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress will promulgate because the law will return to the city the stable, business-friendly investment environment it had before.
“What the opposition camp did in the past few years has sparked huge resentment from most Hong Kong residents,” he told China Daily in an exclusive interview. “Though being Chinese, they don’t love China but have done things to harm China. They only love foreign countries — the United States and Britain.
“Most Hong Kong people have hoped the central authorities will take action, and that’s why the national security law has huge, widespread support. We all support the law, trusting and greatly hoping it will get rid of separatism and violence.
“People in the opposition camp were very afraid even before the details of the national security legislation were published, with some backing down, some drawing a line or keeping a distance from separatism, and some eager to leave Hong Kong.”
In Lam’s opinion, advocacy of Hong Kong independence amounts to the offense of secession. He particularly despises the actions of “yellow ribbon” teachers who are instilling toxic notions of separatism and Hong Kong independence into the minds of young students in schools.
“How can people deny they are not instigating separatism or independence when they chant pro-independence slogans, sing pro-independence songs and wave pro-independence banners publicly, particularly when they are a group of people coming together for a common purpose?” he said.
“The ‘pan-democrats’ always argue that ‘people should not be convicted for their own words’ to evade liability. It is one of their favorite political slogans. Yet chanting slogans, singing songs and waving banners of independence constitute an offense because the elements of words and conduct both exist but not merely words.”
He recalled that since last June, violent protests have occurred, with black-clad demonstrators blocking roads, setting fires, damaging public facilities and train stations, and throwing gasoline bombs, while police have seized huge quantities of bombs, explosives and firearms.
“These amount to acts of terrorism by foreign standards, with people sentenced to life imprisonment by foreign courts for throwing gasoline bombs,” said the executive councilor, expressing dissatisfaction with the very light and noncustodial sentences that many offenders have received.
This includes a 15-year-old boy convicted of throwing gasoline bombs who received only a probation order after the magistrate praised him as a “brilliant lad”.
Lam also sharply criticized opposition lawmakers and politicians who went overseas and urged foreign countries to impose economic sanctions on Hong Kong. While in the US, they were granted high-profile receptions by Vice-President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
"In my view, they are guilty of colluding with foreign forces to harm Hong Kong when they beg the external powers to economically sanction Hong Kong,” Lam said. “If they harm Hong Kong, they harm China too, because Hong Kong is an inalienable part of China.”
