Macau, China, 16 Mar – Macau’s Public Security Police (PSP) on Sunday stopped five politicians that reside in Hong Kong from entering Macau, based on Macau security law, according to a statement issued by the PSP.
The five politicians from the Hong Kong Democratic Party were part of a group of 35 pro-democratic activists and dozens of journalists that travelled to Macau on Sunday to test if the Macau authorities have maintained an inflexible attitude in regards to the entry of some activists from the neighbouring Special Administrative Region.
The police authorised entry to a majority of the people in the group, though told the following political figures to return to Hong Kong: Leung Kwok-hung, Lee Cheuk Yan, Ku See Yin, Lui Yuk Lin and Tsang Kin Shing.
In the statement, PSP said that it has the responsibility to, in accordance with the law, to refuse the entry of any non-Macau resident “who does not fulfil the entry requirements, and who puts at risk or threatens the social stability and public order of Macau”.
Emily Lau, the vice-president of the Hong Kong Democratic Party, who was in the group, criticised the Macau government for once again refusing the entry of politicians into Macau.
“We are not only criticising Macau. I am also criticising the Chinese regime because I have been prohibited from entering mainland China for almost 20 years,” she said, noting that she is critical of “all regimes” that have this type of attitude.
Lee Cheuk Yan, of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, said that Macau authorities have already turned him away three times, though said that he has never participated in protests against the Macau government and has never protested against the local government.
The Hong Kong activists and politicians that entered Macau were received by lawmakers Ng Kuok Cheong and Au Kam San of the Association for New Democratic Macau, which has systematically opposed the local government.
Hong Kong politicians and activists that were allowed entry into Macau protested afterwards at the Macau Government Palace.
In the last few months various Hong Kong residents, namely politicians, academics and journalists saw their entry into Macau rejected.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang recently brought up the matter in Beijing with his counterpart from Macau, Edmund Ho, and expressed his “concern” with the measures being applied to Hong Kong residents.
The Hong Kong government adopted a similar attitude to Macau in regards to non-residents that it considers undesirable into the Special Administrative Region.
The Legislative Assembly of Macau approved by majority on February the national security law of the Special Administrative Region.
The state Security bill was approved with sentences of between 10 and 25 years for treason, secession, and subversion against the Central Government of the People’s Republic, whilst incitement of such acts is punishable with one to eight years of prison.
(MacauNews)
