The Hong Kong National Party, which is promoting separatism in the city, was finally officially banned on the grounds of national security by the government on Monday. The case makes history in safeguarding national security in Hong Kong. This is a remarkable victory in the whole anti-separatism campaign which has gone on for years.

The most significant remark on separatism in Hong Kong can be found in the speech delivered by President Xi Jinping when he visited our city in 2017 for the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Xi emphasized the importance of upholding national unity in practicing "one country, two systems". The key message is that any attempt to endanger China's sovereignty and security, challenge the power of the central government or use Hong Kong to carry out infiltration and sabotage activities against the mainland crosses a "red line" - and is "absolutely impermissible".

The president's message was not without good reason. The importance of national unity has been strengthened because of the threat of the separatism in recent years. According to a survey conducted by the Centre for Communication and Public Opinion Survey, which was established at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, 17.4 percent of respondents "support" Hong Kong "independence" in the 2016 poll. The figure is quite surprising and sparked public concern on the issue.

Realizing the threat of Hong Kong separatism, the SAR government adopted a tough attitude toward the rise of independence advocacy. For instance, it mounted a legal challenge to disqualify two legislators-elect because their actions in the oath-taking process contravened the Basic Law. The survey mentioned above asked the respondents about the possibility of Hong Kong attaining independence in future. But those who thought this "possible" dropped from 3.6 percent to 2.9 percent. This suggests that the action taken by the government was effective in sending a clear message to the public that separatism, in any form, is intolerable.

At first, anti-separatism action could not stop LegCo seats being taken by Hong Kong independence advocates. So the next important step was to forbid the spread of these dangerous ideas in society. That is why the HKNP was dealt with in accordance with the law. The danger posed by the party is evident from the latest speech delivered by its convener Andy Chan Ho-tin at the Foreign Correspondents' Club. Chan insisted independence was the only solution for Hong Kong. Moreover, he urged foreign powers, including the United States and Britain, to step in. This clearly imposes a significant threat to national security. Based on the survey mentioned above, even though there is only a fraction of local population supporting "Hong Kong independence", it would be tragic if the HKNP exploits this small percentage of citizens to disrupt society.

The significance of the ban is it is the first time the government employed legal means to deal with this type of national security issue. The legal basis is so substantial that the police stated clearly that the party was banned for posing an "imminent threat to national security". Moreover, Section 8(2) of the Societies Ordinance allows the security secretary to prohibit a "society" or organization from operating if he has reason to believe it is warranted. Moreover, the legal process is fair as the party was given 21 days to offer a written representation before making a decision; three extensions were given until Sept 14. The case will have a significant social impact when the order takes effect upon its publication in the Government Gazette.

The ban is undoubtedly a fatal blow to separatism. The space for advocating Hong Kong separatism is further limited. Napoleon Hill, an American writer, said: "Victory is always possible for the person who refuses to stop fighting." In future, the government should look more closely at the external ties of separatists, especially the pro-independence politicians' using of Taiwan as their base. Internally, national security legislation should be put on the agenda for public consultation. This will strengthen the legal foundation of anti-separatist actions.

(HK Edition 09/25/2018 page8)