By South China Morning Post | Created at 2024-10-30 01:36:21 | Updated at 2024-10-30 07:26:19
5 hours ago
When Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu delivered his third policy address, he said that “reform is a continuous process”. The address covered many areas, some law-related; he pointed to new laws and indicated legal priorities.
With the enactment in March of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, the city’s obligations in this regard to the rest of the country were finally discharged. Although Hong Kong is no longer China’s Achilles’ heel when it comes to national security, that is not the end of the story. The 2019 social disturbances arose in part because many were ignorant of their country’s past and unaware of their civic responsibilities.
The Education Bureau, therefore, must raise awareness of Chinese history in schools, and enhance patriotic education. The newly opened Chinese Culture Promotion Office must prove its worth and promote a sense of national identity. Every encouragement should be given to public and private museums, which provide invaluable insights into the country’s development and bring the past to life.
Within the secure environment the national security legislation has provided, Hong Kong must move on and develop its economic, trading and legal roles.
When the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance was enacted in July, it required professionals in the social welfare, education and healthcare sectors, from 2026 onwards, to report serious child abuse. Although this reform was promised previously, it fell to Lee to get it over the line, but it is only the start.
Children also need legal protection from, for example, carers who leave them in harm’s way, predators who groom them on the internet, abusers who subject them to psychological cruelty and domestic punishments. Hong Kong’s related laws have fallen behind those of many other advanced societies, and child welfare must be a top priority in the year ahead.
