Hong Kong football fans could be locked out of matches if they continue booing the national anthem, the chief secretary warned on the weekend.
Ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Malaysia, Mathew Cheung on Saturday addressed the ongoing issue of supporters expressing anti-mainland sentiment by jeering at March of the Volunteers prior to kick off.
Speaking to reporters, Cheung said the practice had to stop or Hong Kong would have to play matches without spectators.
“These acts are totally unacceptable. Whether it’s the national anthem or the national flag, they are symbols of the country. These solemn symbols must be respected,” he said in the clip, published online by RTHK.
“So I hope there won’t be such acts again. Because for next week, if the booing happens again during the match against Malaysia, Hong Kong may have to host these international matches behind closed doors from then on.”
Video of last Thursday’s match against Laos showed Hong Kong fans booing loudly as the anthem played before the friendly at Mong Kok stadium.
The display by a block of hardcore fans follows the passage of an Anthem Law by mainland authorities early last month that sets out harsh penalties for mocking the song.
Cheung noted China’s Anthem Law would eventually be incorporated into Hong Kong’s Basic Law.
The law stipulates stiff penalties for disrespecting the anthem, including periods of up to 15 days in detention, and has raised fears about its impact on freedom of expression.
Chinese officials have flagged their intentions to insert the law into Annex III of the Basic Law, which lists mainland laws that also apply in Hong Kong.
At that time, Hong Kong would then draft and pass legislation to adapt the law locally.
Following the match against Laos last week, pro-Beijing legislator Priscilla Leung said fans continuing to boo the anthem would give the Hong Kong government less room to maneuver when it came to drafting the legislation, potentially leading to tougher sanctions.
“There may be some provisions [in the mainland law that] we may not need to put into the local ordinance,” she said, according to RTHK.
“But after those incidents – which may repeat again in the near future – it will definitely push more concern upon the central authorities, whether or not Hong Kong have to [implement] every provision.”
Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) — which has been fined twice previously by the game’s governing body, Fifa, for fans booing the anthem at matches — urged fans to stop, saying it feared facing an even stiffer fine from Fifa this time around.
