Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, said that she would approach Macau government officials, including Chief Executive Chui Sai On, to discuss the issue concerning some Hong Kong residents who had been denied entry in Macau because they allegedly posed “threats to the internal security and stability.”
Earlier this week, Hong Kong democrat lawmaker Helena Wong questioned Lam during a Legislative Council meeting about previous events of a number of Hong Kong lawmakers, activists and journalists who were denied entry in Macau. Wong suggested that HKSAR authorities could adopt a “punitive measure and randomly reject Macau legislators, officials, journalists, scholars from entering Hong Kong.”
Lam replied “that every place has its own immigration policy, which was decided by each place itself. First, we must respect other places’ immigration policy.”
She then noted that “sometimes, we are also doubted regarding why some people could not [enter Hong Kong].” She pointed out that “immigration policy must be an autonomous right of the local government.”
“Certainly, I will express the concern on behalf of everybody. However, whether [the denied entry] was reasonable or not, it depends on the local place’s immigration policy,” said Lam.
Hong Kong’s CE added that “no matter what, whether there is a Greater Bay Area plan or not, I hope we [Hong Kong] can be tightly connected with both Macau and mainland China, and I hope human traffic and logistics can become less obstructed.”
“You mentioned that [I should tell] Macau’s government officials, and the Chief Executive, that [our people] come to Macau [just] for a meeting or for teaching [purposes], and that it is not necessary to regard them as rationalists. I will do it. Actually, you would not know even if I had done it already,” Lam stated.
Previously, in August, Hong Kong democratic lawmaker Helena Wong Pik Wan was denied entry in Macau upon arriving in the territory to attend an event organized by the University of Macau.
Last April and July, other Hong Kong lawmakers were also denied entry to Macau. In August, a group of Hong Kong journalists were denied entry to Macau.
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