Hong Kong, law to protect the Chinese anthem approved

Hong Kong's Parliament has given the go-ahead to the highly contested law that criminalizes all forms of contempt for the Chinese national anthem, the Volunteer March, by setting fines and prison terms. The approval came after a high voltage session, on the day of the 31st anniversary of the bloody events in Tiananmen Square. The measure had 41 votes in favor and one against, while the opposition did not vote and marked choruses and slogans of condemnation.

Police and firefighters had been called into the room in the afternoon after the foul-smelling liquid thrown by two Democratic deputies in the middle of the debate. Classroom president Starry Lee had stopped work following the gesture of MPs Chu Hoi-dick and Ray Chan. Chu, according to the public broadcaster Rthk, had explained that the liquid was a bio-fertilizer and that the initiative wanted to coincide with the anniversary of the Tiananmen massacre.

"A killer stinks forever. What we did today was to remind the world that we should never forgive the Chinese Communist Party for killing its own people 31 years ago," said the deputy, recalling the lack of apologies for what fact and appropriate investigation to clarify the facts.