Some Hong Kong football fans have booed the anthem during World Cup qualifiers and other matches. Citizens of Hong Kong and Macau are not directly subject to the law, passed on Saturday by China’s rubber-stamp parliament, because they have their own legal systems. But a separate decree mandating 15 days in jail for disrespect of the flag was also written into their constitutions, or Basic Law. “This must change after the legislation comes into effect.”The new law is aimed at anyone found to be “seriously” disrespecting the national anthem including by reworking its lyrics, although there are few if any reports of the anthem being used for protests within China itself. But at home he has enforced a narrow vision of progress, cultivating a personality cult and cracking down on dissent.

Source: The Guardian November 04, 2017 20:37 UTC