Teaching Hong Kong’s rule of law and fostering patriotism are ‘inseparable’: justice minister

The teaching of Hong Kong’s rule of law is “inseparable” from cultivating patriotism, the city’s justice minister has said as he pledged to press on with education to instil people’s love for the country.

Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok stressed on Saturday the importance of integrating education with building patriotism at a seminar marking the 34th anniversary of the promulgation of the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini-constitution.

“The education of the constitution and the Basic Law is inseparable from the cultivation of patriotic sentiments and patriotic education, and is also an important part of it,” he said.

Lam said authorities would combine the two to promote love of the country among the public, adding the Department of Justice would continue to incorporate patriotic elements into a youth leadership programme.

To cultivate such sentiment, people must first have a thorough understanding of the country’s past, present and future to establish a solid and rational foundation for patriotism, he said.

Learning about the Basic Law and China’s constitution were good starting points for patriotic education, as they offered historical context of how Hong Kong became occupied by the British and returned to Chinese rule under Beijing’s “one country, two systems” governing principle, the minister told the audience.

Lam also said he believed that patriotism should not be “a passion that was expressed in a moment or at a festive occasion, but an enduring emotion usually hidden in the heart”.