'They're like the Mafia and triads'

US politicians who continue to threaten sanctions against Hong Kong judges and officials are like the Mafia and triads, said Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung.

He was hitting back after five US bipartisan congressmen in the House of Representatives and the Senate on Friday proposed the Hong Kong Sanctions Act against 49 officials, judges and prosecutors.

They include Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok, secretary general of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security Sonny Au Chi-kwong, police chief Raymond Siu Chak-yee, as well as all but two of Hong Kong's national security judges handpicked by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, including Chief Justice Andrew Cheung Kui-nung.

Speaking on a radio yesterday, Tang said sanctions suggested by the US politicians were more akin to what the Mafia and local triads would do to threaten innocent people.

Tang said the SAR has been fulfilling the responsibility of safeguarding national security under the law and holding lawbreakers accountable is "an unalterable principle."

"If foreign governments use sanctions to threaten officials in Hong Kong to protect their henchmen, it is more akin to what triads would do and it is much more immoral and unjust," he said.

"The US politicians are threatening Hong Kong's judicial independence for their own personal benefit. But I have to emphasize, Hong Kong will not be affected and we will continue to uphold our freedom and judicial independence." Tang said the administration will do its utmost to explain the legislative work of Basic Law Article 23 in its second attempt - two decades after its failed attempt in 2003. "We understand that the balance is paramount while we draft the legislation. We have to stop the wolves in sheep's clothing from taking part in infiltration work, and ensure organizations taking part in normal activity are not affected."

The State Council's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said they "strongly condemned" the US politicians over the proposed sanctions, and "sternly supports SAR government officials and judicial officers for safeguarding national security."

"We urge those American politicians to stop the political manipulation immediately, or else they will only be shooting themselves in the foot," it stated.

Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong issued a statement yesterday to "strongly oppose and condemn" the US politicians imposing "so-called sanctions" on SAR officials. "Those US politicians are pressurizing Hong Kong's judicial system, unreasonably intervening in China's internal affairs and Hong Kong's rule of law. Their terrible political show is only destined to fail," the office said.

The Office for Safeguarding National Security said that the sanctions are just "pieces of scrap paper."

"These sanctions will never waver the central and SAR governments' determination in safeguarding national security."

The SAR "strongly condemned" the proposed sanctions, saying that it is a result of Hong Kong returning to order, which is something US politicians, with ulterior motives, do not want to see.

Apart from "strongly condemning" the proposed sanctions, police commissioner Raymond Siu added that their "bullying act" will not succeed, and the Hong Kong Police Force will continue to "unswervingly safeguard national security."

Meanwhile, lawmakers and citizens staged protests outside the US consulate, with protesters tearing apart an American flag.

Holden Chow Ho-ding of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong said outside the consulate that the proposed sanctions might prompt some national security cases to be tried in the mainland.

"If the US continues to trample on Hong Kong's rule of law and threatens judges, the sanctions might trigger Article 55 of the national security law and prompt the central government to exercise its jurisdiction on national security cases, causing some of the cases not to be tried in local courts," Chow said.

The New People's Party's Dominic Lee Tsz-king slammed the US, saying that it was "outrageous," adding that the US was hoping to mend ties with China on the one hand, and sanction Hong Kong officials on the other.

michael.shum@singtaonewscorp.com