Sonia Chan supports China’s national anthem law

Sonia Chan, the Secretary for Administration and Justice, said that “it is mandatory” for Macau to implement China’s national anthem laws.

A draft law on the national anthem was submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China for its first reading last Thursday.

The draft law lists the events where the national anthem should be played or sung, as well as events where it should not.

Chan recently responded to the above draft law.

“I think it is the right of the NPC to amend the Basic Law. We all know that the national flag law and the national symbol law are both being implemented in Macau as national laws.

“I think that if a national anthem law is proposed in the future, then it is mandatory that it be implemented in Macau as a national law,” said Chan.

She remarked that “the national flag, the national symbol, and the national anthems are our country’s dignity.”

The law draft proposed that the national anthem should not be performed at funerals or other improper events, nor should it be used in advertisements or as background music at public places.

The national anthem is “March of the Volunteers,” with lyrics by poet Tian Han and music composed by Nie Er.

According to the draft, those who maliciously modify the lyrics or play and sing the national anthem in a distorted or disrespectful way can be detained for up to 15 days by public security departments.

Qiao Xiaoyang, member of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, during a group deliberation meeting regarding the law, which took place on Sunday, pointed out that it will be listed in the Annex III of the Basic Law in both Hong Kong and Macau.

Qiao said that, in Hong Kong and Macau, any legal articles which can reflect the state sovereignty, and any territorial integrity, national flag, national symbol, and national diplomacy which reflect one country, should all be included in the Basic Laws’ annex.

Another NPC Standing Committee member, Liang Shengli, considers it unsuitable for any person to use the national anthem as a ringtone on their mobile devices.

He suggested that another article should be added to ban people from using the anthem as an alarm or as a ringtone on electronic devices. JZ