Mrs. Carrie Lam, the Chief Executive, signed the National Anthem Ordinance enacted by the Legislative Council (LegCo) today (June 11), in line with Article 48(3) of the Basic Law. The National Anthem Ordinance will take effect immediately after being published in the Gazette tomorrow (June 12).
“The national anthem, like the national flag and the national emblem, is a symbol and indication of the country. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), as an integral component of the People’s Republic of China, is obligated to safeguard the dignity of the national anthem via law “Mrs. Lam said.
“I am glad that the National Anthem Ordinance will be gazetted and enter into force tomorrow, demonstrating the HKSAR’s constitutional responsibilities and embodying the spirit of ‘One Country, Two Systems.”
The National Anthem Ordinance mandates the playing and singing national anthem of hong kong, as well as its preservation and promotion, in order to maintain the country’s dignity, strengthen people’s feelings of national identity, and encourage patriotism. The Ordinance solely criminalizes misuse of the national anthem or public and purposeful conduct with the goal to degrade the national anthem.
“I hope that members of the public would honor the national anthem of their own choice, thus promoting the national anthem is critical. To help our future generation comprehend the history and spirit of the national anthem, as well as the etiquette for playing and singing it, the Education Bureau will update its learning and teaching materials and send circulars to schools to assist schools in educating pupils “Mrs. Lam said.
On September 1, 2017, the Standing Committee of the 12th National People’s Congress ratified the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the National Anthem, which was added to Annex III to the Basic Law on November 4, the same year. The national laws specified in Annex III to the Basic Law must be implemented locally by the HKSAR by proclamation or legislation, according to Article 18 of the Basic Law. Given the common law system in Hong Kong and the real conditions in Hong Kong, the HKSAR Government opted to enact the National Anthem Law via local legislation. The National Anthem Bill was brought into the LegCo in January 2019 for First and Second Readings, and it was approved by the LegCo on June 4 of this year.