Tributes pour in for former Hong Kong leader Tung Chee-hwa as city mourns his death

Rest in peace Sir

Do not attend or involve yourself in a politically sensitive vigil without understanding the legal risks. The National Security Law has created a much more dangerous environment for political expression in Hong Kong. Tung Chee-hwa&#39;s administration provides an important historical comparison. During his term as Hong Kong&#39;s first Chief Executive after the handover, public June 4 commemorations were permitted under the post-handover legal framework. People could gather, mourn, pray, and express their views about the events of 1989.<br><br>After the National Security Law was introduced, the situation changed dramatically. People involved in June 4 commemorations have faced arrests and prosecutions.<br><br>This creates a troubling political twist. If peacefully gathering to remember the victims of 1989 can now create national-security concerns, then politicians and government officials should also consider how the same principle could be interpreted in the future when they participate in politically meaningful memorials themselves.<br><br>The danger is not simply freedom of speech. It is the possibility that the same national-security standard could eventually be turned around and applied to another political generation.<br><br>A law intended to protect the state should be precise enough to distinguish peaceful remembrance from genuine subversion. Otherwise, political expression that was once protected under Hong Kong&#39;s previous legal framework could become a source of fear for citizens, politicians, and even government officials themselves.<br><br>The safest approach is to understand the law, avoid unnecessary political risk, and recognize that today&#39;s political decisions may become tomorrow&#39;s legal and historical debate.