Happy National Security Education Day?

Luo Huining warning that national security needed to be legislated in HK

Hey folks! Did you know today is National Security Education Day? Well it is in China, and Hong Kong is being dragged into this day whether we like it or not, which is rather chilling.

Luo Huining, the relatively new head of the Liaison office, appeared in a video emphasizing that the national security law, Article 23 must be enacted as soon as possible to prevent external forces from intervening in Hong Kong affairs.

Under Article 23 of the Basic Law, Hong Kong must enact national security legislation focused on treason, secession, sedition, and subversion.

"We must fight the pandemic together, and oppose [the notion of] 'if we burn, you burn with us'," he said in the video message, a reference to the popular slogan during last year's anti-government protests.

Luo wants to stop protests like the storming of Legco last year

"As long as everyone fulfills their responsibility, and builds this city together, we can overcome all kinds of risks and challenges."

Luo said the unrest had been orchestrated by pro-independence and radical violent forces and had seriously threatened national security and the bottom line of the "one country, two systems" principle. 

In the video, Luo said some people taking part in illegal activities have not been punished, warning that if the "anthill" that destroys the rule of law is not cleared away or eliminated, then it will destroy the "dam" that is national security.

He added China's current battle against the pandemic was now war-related to the nation's security, especially in areas such as public health.

Hong Kong security chief John Lee Ka-chiu also released his own video, saying while the government would continue to create an environment for the legislation of Article 23, it would not turn a blind eye to "home-grown terrorism", after police found high explosives soon after the anti-government protests broke out.

And Commissioner of Police Chris Tang Ping-keung also had a video message, saying the force had been working with the Department of Justice to consider invoking anti-terrorism legislation, which had never been used before, to prosecute bomb suspects.

Over 500,000 people protested Article 23 on July 1, 2003

What would National Security Education Day be without a video from Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor? She said social unrest had made society feel more strongly about the importance of protecting national security.

In addition, the pandemic had triggered "an unprecedented crisis to the security of humanity, and highlighted the importance of regional cooperation to ensure the security of various nations".

As a result, she urged society to think about how to further maintain national security through education.

Obviously Lam and her senior ministers are doing Beijing's bidding by issuing these video messages in the hopes that repetition will turn Hongkongers into believers that Article 23 must be passed.

However, we are all clearly reminded of what happened on July 1, 2003, when some 500,000 people came out for the massive protest march against enacting Article 23.

That large-scale demonstration resulted in the bill being shelved indefinitely; then Secretary for Security Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee resigned; and eventually two years later, Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa stepped down too.

Carrie Lam changes her mind on legislating Article 23

Fast forward to 2014 and then Chief Secretary Lam announced there was no urgent need to legislate Article 23, and even as late as 2018, as Chief Executive, she said there was no need to rush through implementing the national security legislation.

"Our primary responsibility is to find the right opportunity and create the necessary conditions for us to put into effect the local legislation before we need a committee to ensure the legislation is effectively enforced," she said at the time.

But now Lam is putting national security back on the list of priorities Hong Kong needs to do... but are the people up for it?

Luo is implementing Chinese President Xi Jinping's ideas of bringing Hong Kong to heel, and everyone below is falling into line.

However, just the the thought of enacting Article 23 is going to rile up a lot of people in the city. Seems like someone is spoiling for a fight?