Hong Kong residents from all walks of life collect online signatures and hold a gathering on Sunday morning to show their support for the draft bill to safeguard the national security law to be implemented in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Photo: cnsphoto

Hong Kong's Secretary for Security and six disciplinary forces have pledged their full support for the national legislature's deliberation on national security legislation for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). 

 The Secretary for Security, John Lee, fully supported the decision by the National People's Congress (NPC) and will lead all disciplinary forces to discharge their duties in safeguarding national security, according to a statement published on the website of the Hong Kong government late Sunday. 

The Secretary for Security strongly condemned the acts of rioters over and advocates of "Hong Kong Independence," and expressed his full support for the police in strictly enforcing the law. Sunday's incident "proves the need and urgency of the decision to be deliberated by the NPC," Lee said. 

Since Sunday noon, a large group of rioters have been wreaking havoc in Causeway Bay and Wan Chai in the name of protesting against the national security law in Hong Kong. Police arrested 180 rioters after they set fire to rubbish and inflicted extensive damage on public amenities such as traffic lights, vandalized shops and attacked police officers and ordinary residents. 

A draft decision on establishing and improving the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the HKSAR to safeguard national security was submitted to the third session of the 13th NPC for deliberation on Friday.

In the past year, the violence in Hong Kong has been escalating, with many cases involving explosives and firearms. Terrorism is growing in the city and acts that harm national security, such as "Hong Kong independence," have become more rampant, Lee said. 

Soon after Lee's statement, the heads of six disciplinary forces ?- Police Force, Immigration, Customs and Excise, Fire Services, Correctional Services and the Government Flying Service - all issued statements vowing to work with other disciplinary forces in maintaining national security.

 The Commissioner of Hong Kong police, Tang Ping-keung, said that faced with the riots and extreme separatist forces of "Hong Kong Independence" stemming from the social incidents against the now-withdrawn extradition bill, police deeply realized that Hong Kong is at a risky point in terms of national security, and effective measures are required to prevent the situation from deteriorating.

 Since June last year, opposition to the proposed legislative amendments has led to large-scale violent protests in Hong Kong. Police have seized explosives in 14 cases that were commonly used in terrorist attacks overseas, Tang said. 

Global Times