After failing to foil the enactment of the National Security Law for Hong Kong, notwithstanding the external pressure and interference that the political fanatics from Hong Kong’s opposition camp successfully created, die-hard members of the camp like Joshua Wong Chi-fung have missed no chance to derail its effective implementation.

The implementation rules for Article 43 of the National Security Law — which were formulated by the chief executive in conjunction with the National Security Committee for law enforcement agencies such as the department for safeguarding national security of the Hong Kong Police Force, to effectively handle offenses endangering national security — became the fanatics’ new target for attack immediately after the rules were gazetted on Monday.

But by resorting to the same old modus operandi — scaremongering — the political fanatics have admitted they are now at their wit’s end.

The likes of Wong claimed on Tuesday that “civil rights are no longer guaranteed” after the promulgation of the implementation rules. The fact is, those rules aren’t really new things. They have been formulated with reference to various existing ordinances that cover other criminal offenses.

For instance, the implementation rules allowing police officers to enter a relevant place to search for evidence without a warrant under exceptional circumstances (for example, in urgent situations) have been formulated with reference to the Firearms and Ammunition Ordinance (Cap 238) and the Import and Export Ordinance (Cap 60), which have such provisions covering other crimes.

The rules authorizing the police to ban a person suspected of endangering national security from leaving Hong Kong after securing a court warrant have been drafted with reference to the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (Cap 201), which restricts a person under investigation from leaving Hong Kong.

The arrangements for freezing, restraint, confiscation and forfeiture of properties related to offenses endangering national security, meanwhile, are formulated with reference to the existing powers and provisions under the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance (Cap 455) and the United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Ordinance (Cap 575).

The implementation rules adopted under Article 43 of the National Security Law are well within the existing powers authorized by existing laws. The political fanatics were in effect attacking Hong Kong’s legal system and rule of law when they vilified the implementation rules, which make life harder only for the fanatics intent on doing harm to Hong Kong.

Any right-minded person has no difficulty to see the need for these implementation rules after several rioters have jumped bail and fled abroad, and Wong’s Demosisto group has reportedly moved its millions of Hong Kong dollars of operating funds overseas before its disbandment.