The Hong Kong University law professor said this new ‘contract’ wasn’t overly stringent – as it only requires Hong Kong people to refrain from committing the four national security offences stipulated in the law, or overstepping the limits of "One Country".
Those willing to accept these "minimal" conditions can continue living and working safely in Hong Kong, Chen, a Harvard University graduate, said on RTHK’s Hong Kong Letter.
The Constitutional Law professor said while Western countries generally believe that Beijing's imposition of the national security law would strip away human rights and freedoms and damage Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy, people shouldn’t "simplify" the matter, but look at it from a historical perspective.
He said the entire ‘One Country Two Systems’ concept appeared to be nearing its end by the conclusion of 2019 following months of protests, and the central government therefore felt the need to act to prevent the SAR from becoming a semi-independent political entity under the influence of Western countries, including the United States.
Chen said since the new law has no retrospective effect, people don't have to worry about getting punished for what they did in the past. He said this will allow society to start afresh.
- RTHK, MPD
