After the positive development on Monday enabling the legislature in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to resume its normal operations, the government has given priority to a second reading of the trademark amendment bill and national anthem bill.

The national anthem bill was gazetted on Jan 11 last year, but its legislative process was interrupted by filibustering which has delayed the electing of a new chairperson for the Legislative Council's House Committee, which scrutinizes bills and decides when they can be sent for a final vote.

With lawmaker Starry Lee Wai-king having assumed the role of the House Committee's incumbent chairperson, the chief executive of the SAR, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, said in a statement on Tuesday that she expects the two bills to be given priority in the resumption of second readings by the Legislative Council.

The proposed national anthem law is aimed at ensuring that the residents of the SAR respect China's national anthem. Under the bill, those who publicly and intentionally insult the anthem face fines of up to 50,000 Hong Kong dollars ($6,450) and up to three years imprisonment.

Those who oppose the bill have listed quite a few excuses for their opposition to it, but none of them holds water. And they certainly cannot deny the fact that many Western countries have such laws.

Source: China Daily