National Security Law Photo: VCG

 
Hong Kong's Department of Justice applied to the Court on Monday for a court injunction to ban unlawful acts relating to "Glory to Hong Kong" - a song linked to the anti-government riots in 2019 that has been used to instigate seditious activities - such as broadcasting the song with a seditious intention. Legal experts have said it as an important act to restore and secure the dignity of China's national anthem. 

The song has been widely circulated since 2019 and its lyrics contain a slogan which has been ruled by the court as constituting secession, according to a statement published on the website of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Tuesday. 

Recently, the song was also mistakenly presented as the "National Anthem of Hong Kong" (instead of the correct one "March of the Volunteers") repeatedly. This has not only insulted the national anthem but also caused serious damage to the country and the HKSAR, the statement said. 

There have been several relevant incidents at international sports events such as the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Ice Hockey World Championship Division III and the Asian Classic Powerlifting Championships where the song linked with Hong Kong's violent unrest was wrongly played in place of the Chinese national anthem. 

As a matter of fact, past events have shown that it is highly likely that the song will continue to be widely disseminated contrary to the National Security Law for Hong Kong and the Crimes Ordinance, the government said. 

"The injunction, if granted, will prohibit publicly using and playing the seditious song. Relevant measures are expected to adopt soon to avoid misleading and confusion," some experts said.

The HKSAR government now has conveyed a clear message, any distribution or promulgation of the song will be a criminal offense. This is an essential act to restore and secure the dignity of the National Anthem," Chu Kar-kin, a veteran current affairs commentator based in Hong Kong and a member of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

Anyone who deliberately facilitates the wrongful act is now liable. Representatives from Hong Kong who participate in those events should be cautious to prevent embarrassment and liability, Chu said. 

The purpose of the HKSAR government applying for the injunction is to restrain anyone from disseminating or performing the song, with the intention of inciting others to commit secession, or with a seditious intent, the HKSAR government said. 

It also aims to prevent those from disseminating or performing the song as the national anthem of Hong Kong with the intent to insult the national anthem, with a view to safeguarding national security and preserving the dignity of the national anthem, it noted.