Little do we know about the proposed national security law, but a statement issued by the National People’s Congress (NPC) has confirmed the new law will override Hong Kong’s independent legal system. So the question now is: what will be left in Hong Kong’s rule of law?

Following the annual session of the nation’s legislature, Henry Tang, former Hong Kong chief secretary and a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Standing Committee, along with his fellow delegates and NPC deputies, claimed the new law would not undermine the Basic Law. Now journalists should ask this double dealer his latest views on the draft bill now that Beijing has made it clear the national security law will override the Basic Law.

During the early stage of the anti-extradition bill movement, Hong Kong’s tycoon Li Ka-shing took out an advertisement in some Hong Kong newspapers, in which he famously said “the melon of Huangtai cannot bear the picking again”. The idiom means something has suffered so much that further attack would ruin it. His innocuous message has won him respect from a lot of Hong Kong people. Fast forward to today, forced by the pro-establishment camp, he has joined them to voice support for the national security law.

Perfectly exemplifying hypocrisy at its finest, leading figures of the pro-establishment camp are only generating backfires for themselves which will be used at the discretion of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Based on the British common law system, the city’s independent legal system as stipulated in the Basic Law has laid the foundation for the pro-establishment figures to achieve business success. Taking advantage of Hong Kong’s well-established system, the business elites have long enjoyed protection of individual freedom, equality before the law and freedom of speech, among other things. They owe their success to the city’s legal system inherited from the colonial era and to the Basic Law’s promise that Hong Kong’s “way of life will remain unchanged for 50 years”. And that leaves us wonder if they can sleep well at night after what they have done to this world-class city.

It comes as no surprise that their exit plans – from foreign passports to offshore bank accounts – have been prepared in advance and will come in handy when it is time for them to flee. With their plan B securely in place, one might question why they have to rub salt into Hong Kong’s wound.

All eyes are on the recent passing of the Hong Kong Autonomy Act by the US Senate. The act is pending approval by the House of Representatives and endorsement by the US president. The “Five Eyes” allies, the European Union and Japan will subsequently enact similar sanctions against Hong Kong. With a low threshold, the sanctions target individuals who support the national security law. It ain’t no fun for members of the pro-establishment camp when they find all the doors abroad are shut on them wherever they go.

We are either on the side of righteousness or evil. There is no in between. Those who aid and abet a tyrant will pay a price sooner or later.

(Ngan Shun Kau is a veteran publisher and writer. His publications and works are award-winning.)

Click here for Chinese version.

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