Wong Kam-Fai says only by firmly upholding national security and social order can Hong Kong be safe

Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and three companies affiliated to Apple Daily have been convicted of conspiracy to collude with external forces to endanger national security and conspiring to publish seditious publications. The verdict unanimously delivered by the three judges of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s High Court demonstrates that justice is never absent, and those who cause harm to the country or the special administrative region will inevitably be punished by law. This is truly gratifying for people who care for Hong Kong.

I resolutely support the High Court’s ruling in accordance with the law and strongly condemn the despicable acts of interference and smearing of Hong Kong’s Judiciary by politicians from the likes of the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union. Lai, as a core figure in the anti-China and destabilizing forces in Hong Kong, has consistently acted as a pawn for external anti-China forces, inflicting deep harm on Hong Kong and the nation as a whole. The judicial organs’ trial is reasonable, legitimate, and lawful, leaving no room for criticism.

Before and after the verdict, the anti-China forces, in collusion with external forces, once again exposed their usual double standards in denigrating the Hong Kong SAR National Security Law (NSL), the law enforcement actions, and Lai’s conviction. When they uphold their own national security, they call it “defending the rule of law”; yet, when Hong Kong enforces the law, it is slandered as “suppressing freedom”. This is utterly hypocritical. Under the pretext of “democracy”, “freedom”, and “human rights”, they have incited chaos in Hong Kong, poisoned the youth, and disrupted social order and the educational ecosystem, but they are highly secretive about their own vile deeds. As Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu stated, the 855-page judgment is based on irrefutable evidence, and the trial was open and fair. The fallacy of “suppressing press freedom” is thus self-defeating in the face of undisputable evidence.

As an educator, I am deeply distressed by the actions of individuals like Lai who twisted students’ values. While the principal offenders have been tried, their collaborators must also be held accountable. However, the residual poison left in the minds of Hong Kong students still requires the attention and care of all sectors of society for a precise detoxification. Fortunately, Hong Kong now has the NSL and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO). I deeply believe that only the NSL and the SNSO can truly protect the serenity of Hong Kong’s campuses and safeguard the well-being of Hong Kong people. I hope that all of us in Hong Kong will not “forget the pain once the wound is healed”. We must remember that any act intended to endanger national security, or harm Hong Kong, will be severely punished. Only by firmly upholding national security and social order can Hong Kong be safe.

The author is a Legislative Council member of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.