Well, it was to be expected.
As Hong Kong and Lebanon prepared to face off in last night’s Asian Cup qualifier, the Chinese national anthem once again sparked a chorus of boos from some Hong Kong football fans, dismayed with what many see as Beijing’s erosion of the city’s autonomy.
RTHK reported that while some spectators booed and turned their backs, some staff at Hong Kong stadium waved their arms in a bid to get them to stop.
Fans have for several years jeered at the anthem, with the trend starting after the 2014 pro-democracy protests.
The practice, though, has been thrust back into the spotlight of late after Beijing adopted a national anthem law to penalize the mocking of the song with harsh penalties, including up to three year’s jail time.
The law was earlier this month inserted into Annex III of Hong Kong’s Basic Law by China’s top legislature, meaning Hong Kong lawmakers will now pass a locally adapted version.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam has moved to assure Hongkongers that fans will not be prosecuted prior to the enactment of the local version, RTHK reported.
She also said the law was unlikely to apply retroactively, though concerns on that point persist, with former justice secretary and current vice-chairwoman of the Basic Law Committee, Elsie Leung, on Sunday saying that it was a possibility.
Leung, reported RTHK, noted that while there was normally no retroactive power in Hong Kong’s criminal laws, the Legislative Council did have the right to state when laws should be deemed to have taken effect.
Hong Kong last night lost to Lebanon 1-0, with a red card to midfielder Tan Chun-lok in the first half leaving the home side at a disadvantage.
The team remains third in Group B but can qualify with a win over North Korea, who are three points ahead in the group.
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