HK will be covered by law against separatism | SCMP

Submitted by loner on 23 May, 2004 - 7:31am

Beijing indicated yesterday the national unification law being drafted to curb separatism would apply to Hong Kong, but the need for it to extend to the city was immediately questioned by some.

At a media briefing yesterday, Xin Chunying , of the National People's Congress Law Committee, said there was no doubt Hong Kong would come under the legislation, which is still at an early stage.

......Asked if the law would apply to Hong Kong, Ms Xin said: "Hong Kong is a part of China and its legal status is indisputable.

"An aspect of this unification law is to oppose splittist activities. By splittist activities we mean anyone who is trying to split China."

Fellow committee member Zhang Chunsheng called on the people of Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau to put forward recommendations for how to unify China and stop "splittist activities".

The deputy dean of Tsinghua University's law school, Wang Zhenmin , said although the national law was aimed at Taiwan, it should also apply to Hong Kong.

Legislators from Hong Kong's pro-democracy camp questioned the need for the law to cover the city. The Democratic Party's Martin Lee Chu-ming said: "No one in Hong Kong has ever suggested Hong Kong should become independent."

Mr Lee questioned whether the national law would contravene Article 23 of the Basic Law, which says Hong Kong should enact its own legislation to protect state security.

......Ip Kwok-him, vice-chairman of the Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong, said the law should cover the city, and believed it would have minimal impact.

...... In Taiwan, Ke Chien-min, head of the Democratic Progressive Party's legislative caucus, said: "I [doubt] the ability of China to compel Taiwan to follow [such a] law."