In an unprecedented move, authorities today banned the pro-independence Hong Kong National Party (HKNP) on grounds of “national security.”
The decision by Secretary for Security John Lee was gazetted by the government today.
“I hereby order that the operation or continued operation of the Hong Kong National Party in Hong Kong to be prohibited,” the notice reads. “This notice takes effect on publication in the Gazette.”
The party was banned under the Societies Ordinance, following a request by police in July to ban the pro-separatist group.
It’s the first time since Hong Kong was handed back to China 21 years ago that authorities have banned a political party.
The party and its convenor, 27-year-old Andy Chan, have accused Beijing of being behind the push to outlaw their group, while rights groups and Britain’s foreign office have expressed concern that the move violates the right to free assembly, which is protected by the Basic Law.
Following the request by police, which accused the organization of being a threat to national security and public safety, the party was given a chance to submit reasons why it shouldn’t be banned.
After three extensions by the government, their submission was handed to authorities on September 14, four hours after the 5pm deadline, the SCMP reported.
Chan’s party was founded in 2016 amid swelling anti-mainland sentiment following the Umbrella Movement and its failure to achieve democratic reforms. It reportedly has a core membership of about a dozen members.
But, despite its small size, it has riled Hong Kong and mainland authorities and pro-Beijing figures, perhaps most notably when Chan delivered a fiery speech at the Foreign Correspondents Club in August, calling China colonizers that were destroying the city.
The ban comes amid a broader crackdown against the advocacy and discussion of independence for Hong Kong, a topic Beijing has ruled off-limits.
Pro-independence campaigners and politicians calling for self-determination for Hong Kong have been banned from standing for office and disqualified from the legislature.
The city’s best-known independence advocate, Edward Leung, was jailed for six years in June on rioting charges after clashes with police in 2016.
According to the SCMP, the party still has the chance to appeal the decision, though the final say may end up with chief executive Carrie Lam who has been outspoken about her opposition to the discussion of separatism.
With AFP
