CE: Real threats to national security still there

HONG KONG - Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Tuesday warned that despite a year of general stability following the introduction of the National Security Law for Hong Kong, the city still faces real threats to national security.

The risks came from external anti-China forces, Lam said at a media briefing on Tuesday ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting. Some foreign politicians, together with criminals who fled Hong Kong during and after the 2019 social unrest, wantonly denigrated the city's efforts to safeguard national security and stirred up discontented emotions among the people of Hong Kong.

They were aided by unregulated social media platforms, which are now awash with disinformation, glorification of violence, and hatred against the central government, the HKSAR government and its police force, she said.

These incitements led to a weak sense of compliance with the law among some local residents and their misinterpretation of violence and lawlessness, said the Hong Kong leader.

Recent sporadic acts of violence in Hong Kong, including a "lone-wolf terrorist" attack on a police officer in a business area and an arson attack on the Government House, both on July 1, show that social unrest in Hong Kong has moved from collective, street-based activities to personal, underground ones.

Lam said the attempted murder of a police officer on July 1 should ring an alarm for Hong Kong society.

She appealed to the members of the public to strongly condemn the violence and urged parents, teachers and principals to pay attention to students' behavior and take intervention measures timely.

The SAR government and its police force will strictly enforce the law to safeguard national security and social stability in Hong Kong. They would not allow the glorification of violence through education, broadcasting, and cultural and artistic production, Lam insisted.