The resolution adopted by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on Wednesday, which clarifies the Basic Law’s stipulation on the eligibility for lawmakers in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is an imperative step to safeguard the SAR’s constitutional order.
While the National Security Law implemented in the SAR on June 30 has effectively deterred most subversive elements from perpetrating criminal acts — as they did in recent years — that are harmful to the city’s social stability and prosperity aside from threatening national security, a group of people in the Legislative Council who are more tactful in their subversive maneuvers continued to sabotage the constitutional order of the SAR by seriously interrupting LegCo’s normal operations at the expense of Hong Kong society. They have been successful in crippling the legislature, an integral part of the SAR’s organ of power tasked to implement the “one country, two systems” principle in the way it is intended to be, by wantonly exploiting the loopholes in the legislature’s rules of procedure in the name of “procedural justice”, which is abuse of procedural justice in effect.
By clarifying relevant articles of the Basic Law and affirming that legislators who promote or support Hong Kong independence, refuse to acknowledge the central government’s sovereignty over the HKSAR demonstrated through overall jurisdiction, seek external forces to interfere in Hong Kong’s affairs, or who commit other acts that threaten national security should be disqualified, the NPCSC resolution has provided the special administrative region with a mighty tool to put its legislature in order.
The mass resignation, announced by the lawmakers from the opposition camp on Wednesday in response to the NPCSC decision, is nothing short of the “burn together” tactic they have been playing over recent months. It is also a stunt aimed at drawing international attention and creating foreign pressure against Beijing and the SAR government.
Members of the opposition camp have been counting on foreign pressure and interference to advance their political agenda over the past two decades. They relentlessly lobbied anti-China Washington politicians for support in their attempt to block the introduction of the National Security Law for Hong Kong and brazenly asked for US sanctions on the city and its officials. But it has turned out that foreign interference including “sanctions” does not work with Hong Kong because it is a special administrative region of China, whose resolve and commitment to safeguard its core national interests will never waver.
Members of the opposition camp know full well that the well-being of Hong Kong society, as well as that of their families and themselves, is at stake when they indulge in their burn-together tactic.
