Beijing Calls Hong Kong Court's Ruling Against Mask Ban 'Challenge'

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Beijing Calls Hong Kong Court's Ruling Against Mask Ban 'Challenge'

The Hong Kong High Court's decision to recognize the recently introduced regulation prohibiting residents from wearing face masks unconstitutional is an "explicit challenge" to China's top legislature and the authority of Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, a spokesman for Beijing's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said on Tuesday

BEIJING (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th November, 2019) The Hong Kong High Court's decision to recognize the recently introduced regulation prohibiting residents from wearing face masks unconstitutional is an "explicit challenge" to China's top legislature and the authority of Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, a spokesman for Beijing's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said on Tuesday.

Amid escalating civil unrest in the city, the government in Hong Kong introduced in early October a Prohibition on Face Covering Regulation under the Emergency Regulations Ordinance, which banned residents from wearing face masks. The government argued that the ordinance was necessary to help the police identify perpetrators of violence. On Monday, the High Court ruled that the regulation was incompatible with the Basic Law, the city's de facto constitution.

"The decision of Hong Kong's High Court to recognize the ban on wearing masks as not complying with the Basic Law is an open challenge to the authority of China's National People's Congress and the administrative power of the Hong Kong chief executive.

It will have serious negative political consequences for the society," Yang Guang said in a statement.

The affairs office spokesman added that the Chinese government would monitor the situation around the mask ban.

The massive protests began in Hong Kong in June over a controversial extradition bill, which was officially withdrawn in October. Frustrated with the local authorities' heavy-handed responses to the protests, the demonstrators expanded their demands to add an independent investigation into alleged police brutality and greater civil liberties, including universal suffrage, while calling for the resignation of Lam.

Beijing has repeatedly stated that the situation in Hong Kong is a result of foreign interference in China's domestic affairs and expressed full support for the actions of the local authorities.