Beijing tells US officials to stop ‘disgracing themselves’ in row over court ban on Hong Kong protest song
Beijing has warned US officials to stop “disgracing themselves” by interfering in Hong Kong affairs, after Washington described a court’s decision to ban a protest song as a blow to the city’s judicial independence.
The commissioner’s office of China’s foreign ministry in Hong Kong on Thursday issued a statement titled: “Interfering in the administration of justice in special administrative regions is futile and brings disgrace upon oneself”.
The office described the words from the US State Department as “irresponsible remarks” that blatantly interfered in the administration of justice in Hong Kong.
“The office expresses strong dissatisfaction and strongly opposes this,” it added.
It emphasised the legality of the ban, since the song was “intended to incite division, provoke hatred, advocate violent resistance, and seriously violate Hong Kong’s national security law”.
The office also accused the US of exercising double standards, advising the country’s politicians to “change course” and stop interfering with China’s internal affairs.
The war of words was sparked by a Hong Kong appellate court’s decision on Wednesday to rule in the government’s favour and ban the distribution of the 2019 pro-independence protest song “Glory to Hong Kong”, overturning a lower court’s decision last year that rejected the application.
The panel of judges explained they had allowed the appeal and granted the interim injunction sought by Secretary of Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok, since the song had become a “weapon” that could be used to arouse anti-government and separatist sentiments.
The US State Department responded by saying Washington remained “seriously concerned about the continued erosion of protections for human rights and fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong”.
It also described the decision as “the latest blow to the international reputation of a city that previously prided itself on having an independent judiciary”.
The injunction bans the “broadcasting, performing, printing, publishing, selling, offering for sale, distributing, disseminating, displaying or reproducing in any way” of the tune with the intention to incite others to separate Hong Kong from the rest of the country, commit a seditious act or insult the national anthem, “March of the Volunteers”.
Lam on Wednesday said he believed internet platform operators such as Google would comply with the decision to remove the song and its related content.
A search by the Post found the song was still available for listening and download on sites such as Google, YouTube and Spotify as of Thursday night.
