National identity, legislation improvement behind success of Macao Basic Law
By Leng Shumei and Wang Qi
Against the backdrop of months of social unrest in Hong
Kong, a grand forum to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the implementation
of the Basic Law in Macao Special Administrative Region was held in Beijing on
Tuesday, December 3, with experts and officials discussing reasons for its
success.
Chinese analysts highlighted strong national identity, the
perfection in legislation and residents’sense of patriotism as the main reasons
that lead to the Basic Law’s successful implementation. And these were exactly
the same elements lacking in neighboring Hong Kong Special Administrative Region,
they said.
Chen Duanhong, who is with the Law School of Peking
University, noted at the forum that political loyalty is necessary to develop
national identity and Macao has made great efforts in this regard over the past
two decades.
After the return of Macao to the motherland, residents in
the region, whether Chinese or foreigners, have maintained a “basic political
loyalty to the country,” Chen asserted. Political loyalty for Chen meant
residents never undertook activities harmful to “national security.” Such
activities are banned by Article 23 of the Basic Law, including secession,
infringement and damaging national sovereignty, Chen said.
Macao set up a law to safeguard national security in 2009,
which fulfilled Article 23 of the Macao Basic Law.
Chinese experts have been urging Hong Kong’s legislative
body to pass the national security provision of Article 23 of the Basic Law for
some time.
Without the heavier punishments stipulated in Article 23,
only lighter sentences could be imposed on participants in the Occupy Central
Movement, they noted.
In 2016, the Macao government proactively added secession
clauses to its legislative council election system after the central government
interpreted Article 104 of Hong Kong Basic Law. The clauses clarified that
legislative council candidates must uphold the Macao Basic Law and pledge
loyalty to the region. Council members are not allowed to take additional
political posts in other countries.
The region also amended local law to protect the national
flag, emblem and anthem in 2017. In 2018, the Macao government set up a
regional committee to safeguard national security.
Besides legislation, Macao government has promoted the Basic
Law to more than 10 middle schools to help students understand its intent and
effects.
The government also popularized the law at primary schools
using comics to engage students.
These moves in Macao met the needs in terms of construction
of national institution and national recognition, said forum attendee Li
Xiaobing, an expert on Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan studies at Nankai University
in Tianjin.
Li noted that the people and groups that “love the country
and Macao SAR have played the leading role in the implementation of Macao’s
Basic Law.”
This prevented a major constitutional crisis amidst the
implementation of the Basic Law, Li noted.
The success of the Basic Law in Macao demonstrated the
practicability of the “one country, two systems” principle and set an example
for neighboring Hong Kong which has been embroiled by social unrest for months,
He Liangliang, a commentator on the Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV, told the Global Times.
The Hong Kong government is not as proactive as the Macao
government in implementing the Basic Law, He said.
Law Man-chung, a protester in Hong Kong who pleaded guilty
to desecrating the Chinese national flag, was sentenced to 200 hours of
community service in October, a punishment which many at the forum thought as
too light, in contrast to a man who had sprayed paint on the front gate of the
US Consulate General in Hong Kong was jailed for four weeks in August.
It is under the guidance of the Basic Law that Macao
sustained its previous social mechanism, economic system and lifestyle, Chui
Sai On, Macao chief executive, said at the forum.
The region implements high autonomy based on the Basic Law
and enjoys administrative, legislative and independent judicial powers, Chui
said.
Chui said that Macao residents enjoy extensive rights and
freedoms in accordance with the Basic Law, ensuring economic growth and
substantial progress in culture, education, social security and etc.
Source:Global Times
Macao Scenery (Photo by Liu Baocheng from People’s Daily Online)
National identity, legislation improvement behind success of Macao Basic Law
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