Latest news with #PaulLam
RTHK
2 days ago
- Politics
- RTHK
Push for more HK inclusion in China IOMed quota
Push for more HK inclusion in China IOMed quota Paul Lam says the SAR administration will seek support from the central government for Hong Kong talent to be included in China's quota of mediators. File photo: RTHK Secretary for Justice Paul Lam said on Saturday he hopes more Hong Kong talent can play arbitration roles once the International Organisation of Mediation (IOMed) becomes fully operational as the city will do well in handling civil and commercial disputes. Speaking on a radio programme, he said mediator quotas have been set for each participating nation and that the government will push for Hong Kong talent to be appointed as part of the allocation for China. There will be two lists for mediators, Lam added, one for handling disputes between countries and the other for dealing with civil and commercial disputes. "It would be difficult for us to handle disputes between countries, but Hong Kong is good at the latter," he said. "We have talent in the field, so we [the government] will seek support from our nation to pick people from Hong Kong to be appointed into the list," he said. "Our nation has a lot of outstanding talent in mediation, not just Hongkongers, but at least we have to fight for our opportunities." Lam said 33 nations have signed up to join IOMed and that each member can nominate and pick mediators depending on the nature of the case. Hong Kong's winning the right to host IOMed's headquarters shows respect for the city's capability to be a centre for international services, he added, and that member nations recognise the strengths of the SAR. Lam also said renovation work at the old Wan Chai police station, which is to be the site of the headquarters for IOMed, is in the finishing stages and that its preparatory office will take over the venue soon. Meanwhile, he added, lot of explanation work has to be done to make clear Hong Kong's situation to the world, despite the city being highly competitive globally. When asked about his recent trip to the Netherlands, France and Italy to attract more European law institutions to set up offices in the SAR, Lam said progress had been made but that more effort was needed. He added that a lot of these organisations had been focused on development in western European countries in the past but were currently seeking recognition from the Asia-Pacific in order to follow the global trend.
RTHK
2 days ago
- Politics
- RTHK
Push for more HK inclusion in China IOMed quota
Push for more HK inclusion in China IOMed quota Paul Lam says the SAR administration will seek support from the central government for Hong Kong talent to be included in China's quota of mediators. File photo: RTHK Secretary for Justice Paul Lam said on Saturday he hopes more Hong Kong talent can play arbitration roles once the International Organisation of Mediation (IOMed) becomes fully operational as the city will do well in handling civil and commercial disputes. Speaking on a radio programme, he said mediator quotas have been set for each participating nation and that the government will push for Hong Kong talent to be appointed as part of the allocation for China. There will be two lists for mediators, Lam added, one for handling disputes between countries and the other for dealing with civil and commercial disputes. "It would be difficult for us to handle disputes between countries, but Hong Kong is good at the latter," he said. "We have talent in the field, so we [the government] will seek support from our nation to pick people from Hong Kong to be appointed into the list," he said. "Our nation has a lot of outstanding talent in mediation, not just Hongkongers, but at least we have to fight for our opportunities." Lam said 33 nations have signed up to join IOMed and that each member can nominate and pick mediators depending on the nature of the case. Hong Kong's winning the right to host IOMed's headquarters shows respect for the city's capability to be a centre for international services, he added, and that member nations recognise the strengths of the SAR. Lam also said renovation work at the old Wan Chai police station, which is to be the site of the headquarters for IOMed, is in the finishing stages and that its preparatory office will take over the venue soon. Meanwhile, he added, lot of explanation work has to be done to make clear Hong Kong's situation to the world, despite the city being highly competitive globally. When asked about his recent trip to the Netherlands, France and Italy to attract more European law institutions to set up offices in the SAR, Lam said progress had been made but that more effort was needed. He added that a lot of these organisations had been focused on development in western European countries in the past but were currently seeking recognition from the Asia-Pacific in order to follow the global trend.
HKFP
12-07-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
So soft resistance is not a legal concept? Why this is a worrying thought
One does not wish to seem ungrateful, but the enduring mystery of the hour – exactly what do officials mean by 'soft resistance' – has not been much clarified by the secretary for justice, who offered a definition last month. Soft resistance, said Paul Lam, has three main elements: making false or misleading statements, expressing them irrationally with emotional bias, and having the intention to create misunderstandings about the Chinese or Hong Kong governments and their policies. This looks like an extension of the law on subversion, already unmoored from its Common Law attachment to the provocation of violence. If this were the case, it would still leave a variety of tricky questions. For example, would sincere belief in the truth of the statement complained of be a defence? But Mr Lam scotched this notion by adding that 'methods of soft resistance may not always be illegal, but that did not mean they did not harm society.' He also said that although the term was hard to define the government would not use it arbitrarily. 'You can say it is a political term,' he mused. 'Not all issues in society should be addressed by legal means. [Legal means] are also not always the most effective way of handling [matters].' This brings us to a rather alarming question: What non-legal means is the government proposing to use? A few reminders: We have repeatedly been assured that freedom of expression continues to be protected in Hong Kong. Both the Basic Law and the National Security Law reiterate the point, which is often also made by officials. Anyone who complains about apparent infringements will be referred to the relevant part of the Bill of Rights Ordinance, which permits exceptions to protect – put briefly – reputations, public order (including national security) and public decency. But there is one condition attached to these exceptions: They must be 'provided by law.' That means that if a person engages in soft resistance, deplorable though that may be, using methods which are not illegal, then he or she is exercising the right to self-expression and is entitled to Mr Lam's protection while doing so. The answer to soft resistance that does not break the law is, of course, soft repression. This could take the form of counterarguments, pointing out untruths, denouncing irrational language and correcting misinterpretations of government policies. This should not be too difficult. The government has a whole department devoted to putting its version of events before the public. RTHK is at its service, and most of our surviving media take pride in doing more than justice to the government line. The answer to erroneous speech is, or should be, correct speech. Yet somehow, I do not think this was on the mind of the numerous senior officials who thought a 28th Handover anniversary speech was a good opportunity to denounce the evils of soft resistance and promise to extirpate it. Rosanna Law, the secretary for culture, art and tourism, for example, promised to step up scrutiny before allowing funding or the use of venues for shows. Other issuers of permits of various kinds are apparently putting their shoulders to the wheel. Of late, we learn that restaurants can lose their licences, social workers and teachers can be drummed out of their professions. Some people cannot run a bookshop without entertaining a stream of visitors from government departments, citing anonymous complaints about hygiene, fire safety, business regulations or whatever. We may have a government which, as Mr Lam said, welcomes criticism, but it is not very good at looking like that. The problem with this sort of thing is that after a while it makes people suspicious. Maybe the venue you wanted to hire really does have an air-conditioning problem. Who knows? The Lord moves in mysterious ways and routinely refuses to discuss individual cases. Recently the Inland Revenue Department resumed sending me annual tax returns. In normal times I would put this down to a lucrative one-off freelance gig in 2023 after which the employer very properly filed the usual form reporting how much it paid me. As it happened, though, this sudden renewal of interest in my finances coincided with several stories about news media and individual reporters being asked for large tax payments they did not owe. So an innocent bit of bureaucratic routine looks … fishy.
HKFP
30-06-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
‘Soft resistance' involves using false statements to create misunderstanding about authorities, justice sec. says
'Soft resistance' involves using false statements to create misunderstanding about the mainland Chinese and Hong Kong authorities, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam has said. Speaking to local media outlets in interviews published on Monday, the fifth anniversary of the Beijing-imposed national security law, Lam said methods of soft resistance may not always be illegal – but that did not mean they would not harm society. He said there were three main elements of soft resistance – making false or misleading statements; expressing them irrationally and with emotional bias; and with the intention of creating misunderstanding about the Chinese and Hong Kong governments and their policies. Lam's interview marks the first time authorities have explained what soft resistance is. Since 2021, Chinese and Hong Kong officials have cited the phrase as a threat to national security, but have not been specific about what it means. The justice secretary said soft resistance was difficult to define, and the government would not use the label arbitrarily. Ahead of the fifth anniversary of the Beijing-imposed national security law, high-ranking officials have given media interviews addressing 'soft resistance' in areas ranging from arts and culture to development and medicine. The term was first used in 2021 by the then-director of China's Liaison Office in Hong Kong Luo Huining, who warned that Hong Kong must regulate 'soft resistance' in addition to cracking down on 'hard resistance.' Last week, Chief Executive John Lee said in a press conference that soft resistance is 'real' and is 'lurking across different areas and different sectors.' 'Different views' still allowed Speaking to HK01, Lam said citizens can have 'different views' about the government, including negative views, but such opinions must be based on 'objective facts.' Soft resistance cannot be condoned, he told the media outlet. 'If it creates a negative impact, it would affect society's overall stability, hinder the building of consensus in society, and stand in the way of Hong Kong's collective effort of driving development,' he said in Chinese. Just because not all soft resistance methods may be illegal, this did not mean that society could ignore them, he said. 'Not all issues in society should be addressed by legal means. [Legal means] are also not always the most effective way of handling [matters],' Lam said. Beijing imposed a national security law in Hong Kong on June 30, 2020 following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest over a controversial extradition bill. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts, which were broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers, alarming democrats, civil society groups and trade partners, as such laws have been used broadly to silence and punish dissidents in China. However, authorities say it has restored stability and peace to the city.
RTHK
30-06-2025
- Politics
- RTHK
National security a priority; development too: SJ
National security a priority; development too: SJ Paul Lam says the government seeks relative security, not absolute security, and Hong Kong must remain an open and tolerant society. Photo: RTHK Secretary for Justice Paul Lam says confidence in the rule of law in Hong Kong is improving as people see how national security laws are being enforced in the territory. The minister stressed that any notion that the city was prioritising security at the expense of development is a "false impression", and the city must remain an open and tolerant society to fully leverage its advantages under One Country, Two Systems. Lam also dismissed suggestions that classifying certain acts as "soft resistance" would cause a chilling effect on the freedom of expression here, saying there are stringent guidelines on how the term should be applied. In a media interview to mark the fifth anniversary of the promulgation and implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law on Monday, Lam gave assurances that people wouldn't unwittingly enter into legal jeopardy. According to the 2023 Policy Address, 'soft resistance' refers to attempts to provoke conflict, misinform or spread rumours through different channels, and undermine the governance of the country and the SAR. "[It] is not a legally defined principle. It's never meant to be a term which has a very rigid definition. But it doesn't mean that it's a concept that is too vague or too general," Lam said. He said authorities would look at the means, the motive and its potential harmful consequences of any acts of soft resistance, and prosecute in cases where the law was breached. "But on the other hand, there are certainly situations where there would be insufficient evidence to say that anyone has committed criminal offences," he said. "In those circumstances, firstly, assuming that there are false accusations against the government or wholly irrational opinions being expressed against the government, then our response is to refute or to clarify the situation, to make sure that members of the public, including people outside Hong Kong, will not be misled, [or] be improperly influenced by those false and unsound statements." He also said national security police were justified in issuing a warning earlier this month against downloading the app, "Reversed Front: Bonfire", which had been deemed as seditious. "This is not a game. It is talking about the independence of Taiwan and Hong Kong. Are you saying you think this is OK?" he queried. "Under these circumstances, when we explicitly tell people not to do something, I think it's a fair thing to do so people don't fall foul of the law." Lam also stressed the importance of striking a proper balance between safeguarding national security, and ensuring Hong Kong's development. Citing a business sentiment survey by the American Chamber of Commerce, the justice minister noted that seven out of 10 respondents felt the national security law had not adversely affected their operations. "People can see for themselves, if people can look at the matter objectively based on what actually happened and how cases were handled by the prosecution and by the courts," he said. "Confidence is coming back, it's restoring and improving. So I would say that we are doing the right things, but obviously we have to remain very prudent and very cautious in order not to give a false impression. "I have to emphasise the word false impression, that we care about national security and we have somehow overlooked the importance of development, or how to the importance of maintaining Hong Kong as a very open society." Lam said that in the long run, Hong Kong needs to develop and strengthen its soft power to instil a sense of pride and national identity among people, and ensure they play a part in creating a stable and safe environment for the city.
