Lawmakers “have the right to disapprove budgets presented by the government,” said the Civil Human Rights Front, a pro-democracy group. “In the primary elections, candidates only exercised their rights to debate their political stance, and voters were free to elect those who were in their favor.”
But Tong, the cabinet member, said those rights must not violate national security. “At first glance,” he said, it is the law of lawmakers to veto legislation, “but if you think about it more, it is not.”
The intentional veto of proposals without actually considering them would amount to a violation of the duties of lawmakers, he added.
The authorities indicated that their work is far from over. A police superintendent told reporters on Wednesday that police officers can make more arrests in connection with the primary elections. The Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government, Beijing’s official arm in Hong Kong, called for vigorous enforcement of the law.
“Only when Hong Kong’s national security law is fully and precisely implemented, and firmly and strictly enforced, can national security, Hong Kong’s social stability and public peace be effectively guaranteed,” the office said in a statement.
Perhaps the clearest sign of Beijing’s desire to relax its power was who the authorities decided to arrest.
Until Wednesday, prisoners under national security law were largely prominent activists or people who openly demonstrated against the government, like a man who collided with police officers on a motorcycle during a rally or students who, according to police, they shouted in favor – independence slogans.