Protesters considering taking a knee -- or even booing -- during the Chinese national anthem in Hong Kong will be arrested and jailed, Reuters reported.
China’s parliament on Saturday formally extended a law banning disrespect of the “March of the Volunteers” to cover Hong Kong, Reuters reported.
During the past few years, soccer fans in Hong Kong have booed the national anthem during World Cup qualifiers and other matches. The Chinese parliament passed a law in September mandating a 15-day jail term for anyone who mocks the country’s national anthem. That covers the Chinese territories of Hong Kong and Macau, Reuters reported.
The National Anthem Law, which took effect on Oct. 1, has now been included in an annex of Hong Kong’s Basic Law, according to Xinhua, China’s state news agency..
Hong Kong is a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997, but has retained a high degree of autonomy, Reuters reported. China’s legislation has caused some tension among citizens in Hong Kong.
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