Hong Kong Moves to Make Disrespecting Chinese Anthem a Crime

Hong Kong unveiled legislation to make disrespecting China’s national anthem a crime -- from internet posts to sporting events -- fueling concern about free speech in the former British colony.

The bill calls for prison sentences as long as three years for people who “willfully” alter and insult the anthem, or sing it in a “distorted or derogatory” manner, said Patrick Nip, the city’s top constitutional affairs official.

The move is part of a broader crackdown on dissent that democracy advocates say is eroding the financial hub’s liberal political and economic system. President Xi Jinping has sought to assert China’s dominance in the “one country, two systems” framework intended to protect its independent judiciary and freedom of expression after British rule ended in 1997.

The anthem, “March of the Volunteers,” was written during China’s struggle against the Japanese and later adopted by the People’s Republic of China. It was played during the handover ceremony when the Chinese national flag replaced the Union Jack over Hong Kong.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-09/hong-kong-moves-to-make-disrespecting-chinese-anthem-a-crime?srnd=politics-vp