The Director-General at the Department of Policy Research at the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Macau SAR, Ran Bo, stated in an interview with TDM TV that Macau “will also have to improve the mechanisms for safeguarding national security” following the application of the new Hong Kong national security legislation.
“So far the mechanism has worked well, but of course with the rapid development in the international situation and since we’re living in turbulent times Macau will need to strengthen its safeguard mechanisms […] I’m sure with support of the Central Government, the Government of Macau will do a better job” Bo noted.
Former Chief Executive Edmund Ho enacted national security legislation in Macau in 2009 to fulfil Article 23 of the Basic Law after a local public consultation process, with no people charged under the local law since then.
The Office of the Secretary for Security, Wong Sio Chak, has already indicated that it is proceeding with legislative works to create a national security cabinet and special Judiciary Police (PJ) unit to enforce the national security legislation.
In 2018 the SAR has also established a National Security Committee presided over by the Chief Executive, as well as the Secretary for Security, the Secretary for Administration and Justice, the Director of the Unitary Police Service, and other head of local security departments.
Bo also dismissed fears that the new legislation would lead tot he erosion of Hong Kong resident rights as “unfounded fears”, defending that “the new law only reinforces the rights and freedoms that Hong Kong residents enjoy, whether it be freedom of expression, assembly, press or publication”.
When inquired why the law was directly approved by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee instead of Hong Kong authorities, Bo noted that in every country in the world it is up to the central governments to shoulder the responsibility of upholding national security.
“The US has over 20 laws regarding national security. The Chinese government has already authorised the Hong Kong SAR to legislate under article 23 a law to uphold national security. Unfortunately int eh past 20 years and especially after the Occupy Central [in 2014] and unrest last year, and due to separatists and radicals colluding with foreign and external forces, the legislation could not be completed,” Bo noted.
The Director-General at the Department of Policy Research added that it was imperative to enact the law to stop increasingly violent actions by radicals in the neighbouring SAR to “restore law and order” and allow Hong Kong residents to “resume their normal peaceful life”
He also countered condemnation by western countries such as the US and the UK that the law undermined the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ defending that the policy was cherished by Chinese authorities but as a policy devised by the central government it was their responsibility.
“One Country, Two Systems is our creation, we cherish it and we are responsible and only the Chinese government and not the government of the US or the UK have any obligations or rights to tell Chinese how to do it,” Bo said.
