Hong Kong handover anniversary, Xi Jinping visit, John Lee swearing-in
Hong Kong handover anniversary, Xi Jinping visit, John Lee swearing-in
#Hong #Kong #handover #anniversary #Jinping #visit #John #Lee #swearingin
No applications have been made by pro-democracy organizations to stage peaceful protests during Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s visit to Hong Kong, according to the city’s police.
“Police will not tolerate any acts of violence or public disorder and will not tolerate anything that may interfere and undermine the security operation,” Hong Kong’s Assistant Police Commissioner Lui Kam-ho told a news conference on Tuesday.
He added that “resolute actions” would be taken against anyone who threatens “public order.”
National security law: Most Hong Kong pro-democracy groups have disbanded following the enactment of the city’s sweeping national security law two years ago. A subsequent crackdown saw nearly all of Hong Kong’s leading pro-democracy figures, including activists and politicians, either jailed or forced into exile.
The controversial law was passed by Beijing on June 30, 2020, following a year of mass anti-government protests in Hong Kong. It criminalizes acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security — with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment for all four.
Critics of the legislation say it has been used to silence all dissent against the Hong Kong government, which has repeatedly defended the law, saying it has restored order to the city following the 2019 protests.
No protests: The League of Social Democrats, a pro-democracy political party in Hong Kong, said Tuesday it would not stage any protests as the city marks the 25th anniversary of the handover to Chinese rule.
“Today, some volunteers and friends of the League of Social Democrats were invited to meet with national security police. After assessing the situation, we will not stage any protest activities on July 1,” said Chan Po-ying, the party’s chairwoman. “The situation is difficult, and please accept our apologies.”
Some context: The League of Social Democrats has staged a number of small protests since the national security law came into effect. On June 4 this year, the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing, three members of the party briefly staged a demonstration in Hong Kong before they were arrested by police.
#Hong #Kong #handover #anniversary #Jinping #visit #John #Lee #swearingin
Source :CNN
