** The public consultation on the legislation of Article 23 of the Basic Law was launched, and some politicians felt that the people did not have much dissatisfaction with the legislation of Article 23, or even did not care too much. The public's concern for the 23 pieces of legislation has dropped significantly, which is a social reality that can be felt universally, and this current situation reflects not only the political coldness, but also reflects that the public has gained a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of the maintenance of the 23 legislation from the practice of the "Hong Kong National Security Law", and is no longer easily misled by others, and is no longer worried about the 23 legislation.
* The completion of the 23 pieces of legislation is regarded as the focus of this year's work, not only the internal comprehensive mobilization, but also the Legislative Council, the District Council, the District Council, and even the Community Care Team, have all mobilized to demand comprehensive cooperation, take the initiative to explain the significance and related content of the legislation to the public, and answer the doubts of the public.
However, after the commencement of the public consultation period on the legislation, there was no strong reaction from the community as in 2003 when the legislation was first enacted, and the public did not show much interest in the legislation, nor did they raise too many questions and concerns.
The public's interest in the 23 pieces of legislation has dropped significantly, reflecting that society has undergone great changes. First of all, after implementing the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong," there is no more room for the anti-China and destabilizing forces to exploit and take advantage of the loopholes in the electoral system to infiltrate the Legislative Council and the District Councils, and they are unable to use these two platforms to stir up contradictions, disseminate radical remarks and false information, and incite strong opposition in society.
For a long time in the past, Hong Kong has always had the problem of political overheating, which has led to the intensification of social contradictions, tension in social relations, and rising social antagonism, which have brought very serious problems to Hong Kong. The main reason for this state of affairs is that Hong Kong has not been able to implement Article 23 of the legislation, allowing anti-China and destabilizing elements at home and abroad to stir up trouble and stir up troubles in various ways to sow discord, amplify contradictions, and intensify society, so as to achieve the goal of destabilizing Hong Kong and containing China. Now, society has calmed down, and one of the main reasons for the emergence of political apathy is the implementation of the "Hong Kong National Security Law", the improvement of the electoral system, and the plugging of loopholes.
Secondly, the public does not pay much attention to the 23 pieces of legislation, which also reflects that the public has generally felt relieved about the legislative work of maintaining the best legislation. The biggest difference from the first legislation in 2003 was that at that time, Hong Kong had just returned to the motherland, and most citizens did not accurately understand the importance of safeguarding the country, but were more worried that after the legislation, it might restrict the freedom of individuals.
But in fact, as the Chief Executive said, the enactment of the law to uphold the law is only a protective law, mainly aimed at criminal acts and activities that endanger the world, and the principle of common law in accordance with the law has a higher threshold for conviction, and Hong Kong also has a perfect judicial system, so it is difficult for ordinary citizens to have the possibility of accidentally violating the law. It is difficult for ordinary citizens to truly understand such a fact by just talking about it and expressing it in words, but on the contrary, a few words with intimidation can make many people feel worried and afraid of legislation. This is the reason why the legislative work in 2003 caused a strong social outcry.
However, after the implementation of the "Hong Kong National Security Law" in 2020, the practice of the past three years has proved that only a very small number of criminals who deliberately undermine Hong Kong's social stability and endanger the world will be punished according to the law. In addition, Hong Kong has always enforced the "Hong Kong National Security Law" in accordance with the law, and all cases are conducted in a fair and impartial manner in strict accordance with legal procedures and under the full protection of the rights and interests of the defendants. With these facts in the eyes of the public, the public is more at ease with the 23 pieces of legislation and will no longer be easily misled.
Moreover, after the turmoil in 2019, the vast majority of citizens have personally felt that failure to uphold the legal protection will bring disastrous consequences to Hong Kong, not only will it be impossible to produce the democracy and freedom that citizens expect from the chaos, but even the most basic personal safety and freedom of expression will be eroded by violence, and the peaceful life of citizens will also be lost. Therefore, the public as a whole has understood the importance of enacting laws to safeguard the country's national security, and therefore, the legislation has been promoted again this year, which has been widely recognized and supported by the public.
The fact that the society as a whole is relatively calm about the 23 pieces of legislation and that the degree of concern is not as high as in 2003 does not mean that there is no need to strengthen the legislative interpretation work. On the contrary, strengthen legislative interpretation and publicity, so that most citizens can have a correct understanding of legislation, in order to better implement and enforce the law, which is also a necessary measure to promote safety education for the whole family. Only by allowing the vast majority of citizens to understand the meaning and content of legislation can they better fulfill their obligations and abide by the law in the future.
Text: Wenwu