Speaking at a press conference, former chief executive (CE) Tung Chee-hwa, now vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, said the Basic Law empowers Beijing to introduce the mainland's State Security Law to Hong Kong, if necessary, before the SAR government enacts its own relevant laws, which is the SAR's constitutional duty prescribed in the Article 23 of the Basic Law.

Tung also said if he were still the CE today, he would have done the same thing as incumbent Leung Chun-ying when he criticized HKU's student publications advocating "Hong Kong independence", because it is not a matter of "academic freedom" as some activists have argued, but a crucial issue of national sovereignty.

Article 23 of the Basic Law stipulates that Hong Kong shall enact laws to prohibit any act of treason, secession, sedition, subversion against the central government, or theft of state secrets, to prohibit foreign political organizations or bodies from conducting political activities in the city, and to prohibit political organizations or bodies of the SAR from establishing ties with foreign political organizations or bodies. As such, passing the national security legislation is a constitutional responsibility. It is only a matter of time before this is done.

The government shelved a plan to pass such laws in 2003, after half a million demonstrators took to the streets. Since then, Article 23 has remained a sensitive issue - if not a taboo subject. Even a mention of it can draw howls of protests from the opposition.

However, "Occupy Central" movement, in which foreign forces were apparently involved, has not only placed the rule of law under strain, but also posed a threat to national security. This political farce serves as a timely reminder that national security might be undermined, if loopholes are not effectively plugged due to a lack of relevant laws.

Hong Kong is now the only place in China not covered by a national security law. In the implementation of "One Country, Two Systems", even Macao is ahead of Hong Kong in this respect, although that SAR was established two years later than ours. This abnormality should not be allowed to exist in the long term.

Hong Kong may enjoy many favorable economic treatment granted by the central government, but national security is not a privilege Hong Kong people can bargain with. All provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities and special administrative regions in China should be treated equally without favor in this issue.

Besides, patriotic education should be strengthened. In retrospect, at the forefront of "Occupy" were youngsters who were mere toddlers at the time of the handover. Some of them brandished the Union Jack and stormed into military camps and SAR government complex. This conduct rightly implies there is still work to be done when it comes to decolonization. Or let's put it more bluntly, "national interest" must be considered in the near future when the city formulates its education policy for its younger generations.

(HK Edition 01/21/2015 page9)