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HONG KONG: A Hong Kong professor and two pro-democracy politicians were barred from Macau, escalating concerns over a possible curb on freedom of expression in the enclave, a broadcaster said on Wednesday.
Johannes Chan, dean of the University of Hong Kong's law faculty, told Cable TV he was turned away by immigration officers when he went to give a speech at the University of Macau on Friday.
"The officers took my identity card for a check. The computer showed that I might not be able to enter the city," said Chan, a former chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association.
"They told me that I cannot enter Macau according to the internal security law of Macau, and that they will send me back," the human rights advocate said.
The only explanation given by the Macau officials was that his name was on a list and that they were just doing their job, Chan told the broadcaster.
Chan suspected he was refused entry because of his role in the Article 23 Concern Group, set up in 2002 to campaign against the Hong Kong government's plan to enact controversial security legislation.
The bill was to come under Article 23 of the Basic Law, the city's mini-constitution following its return to Chinese rule in 1997. But public pressure forced the government to shelve it in 2003.
Article 23 requires Hong Kong to introduce a law prohibiting treason, secession, sedition and subversion against the central government in Beijing, and the theft of state secrets.
Chan said he was not familiar with Macau's new security legislation, which mirrored Hong Kong's shelved security bill and took effect on Tuesday. Macau also has its own mini-constitution after returning to China in 1999.
The professor said he had often travelled to the gaming enclave for academic exchange events and Friday was the first time he had been turned away. He expressed concerns about the authorities' curbs on academic freedom.
A spokesman for Macau's government told AFP three Hong Kong residents were denied entry between Friday and Tuesday but gave no further details.
The two other residents were pro-democracy politicians Frederick Fung and Bruce Liu, according to the South China Morning Post.
In December, nine Hong Kong pro-democracy politicians who planned to protest against the security bill in Macau were denied entry to the former Portuguese colony.
Albert Ho, chairman of Hong Kong's Democratic Party, urged the Hong Kong government to respond to the entry bans with drastic measures.
"We call on our government to stop allowing senior officials from Macau to enter Hong Kong if they continue to turn away pro-democracy politicians and others from our side," Ho told AFP.
However, Stanley Ho, Macau's gaming tycoon, supported the entry bans.
"I think the (Macau) government was right. Those people (who were turned away by Macau) were all troublemakers. They had caused troubles in Macau in the past," he told Cable TV.
He added that Hong Kong should follow Macau's example and enact its shelved security legislation as soon as possible.
"Every place has (its own version) of Article 23 to maintain order. Only Hong Kong doesn't have it... because it has lots of pro-democracy and pro-Britain people," he said.
- AFP/so
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