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Former Hong Kong leader CY Leung accuses pro-Beijing lawmakers of lacking ‘fighting spirit’ to take on activists overseas
- Online activists spreading dangerous ideas to Hong Kong youth as lawmakers and politicians remain silent, ex-leader says
- Leung points to recent release overseas of audio version of book Hong Kong court deemed seditious content
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Former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying has said pro-Beijing politicians in the city lacked the “fighting spirit” to combat opposition activists spreading harmful views online after moving overseas and they continued to sway young people’s views on national security.
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Leung, also a vice-chairman of China’s top political advisory body, made the remarks in an interview televised on Saturday after Beijing’s top official for local affairs called on residents to remain vigilant over threats to national security.
“Even with the [national security] law, there remains the question of action,” Leung said. “Politically, we must expose words and deeds that endanger national security in a targeted manner. We need to have the fighting spirit and action.”
Xia Baolong, director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, said last week during his six-day visit that safeguarding national security and stability “requires struggle, effort and sacrifice”.
In the interview, Leung warned that many opposition activists who left the city had set up more than 100 concern groups in Taiwan, Britain and elsewhere to carry out their political goals using the internet.
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He noted that an audio version of a children’s book series by a group that included fugitive activist Nathan Law Kwun-chung was released last week. The series, which depicted “good” sheep defending their turf from “evil” invading wolves, led to five people involved in its release in Hong Kong being convicted of sedition.
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