Hong Kong legislature passes amendments to national flag, national emblem bill

HONG KONG - Hong Kong's legislature passed amendments to the national flag and national emblem bill on Wednesday.

The National Flag and National Emblem (Amendment) Bill 2021 was approved in its third reading by the Legislative Council (LegCo) of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). It was introduced to the LegCo on Aug. 18 for first and second readings.

The amended bill lists the illegal acts of insulting the national flag and national emblem, including burning, damaging, and scribbling. Relevant acts done online such as publishing the image of disgraced national flag on the internet are also illegal.

According to the amended bill, the Secretary for Education of the HKSAR government has the responsibility to promote national flag and national emblem education. Schools are required to raise the national flag and hold the flag-raising ceremony on a regular basis.

Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs of the HKSAR government Erick Tsang said that the national flag and national emblem should be respected as national symbols, and that the amended bill is intended to serve to deter people attempting to insult the national flag and national emblem.