Its legislators China have proposed amendments to a draft law that would enable police authorities to fine and arrest people wearing clothes which “hurt the feelings of the Chinese people”.
According to the “New York Times”, the Committee of the National People’s Congress presented its proposal in early September. It aims to ban clothing and symbols deemed to “harm the spirit of the Chinese nation”.
The proposal comes after a series of measures to curb personal style in recent years, including broadcasting regulations aimed at banning artists with “feminine styles”, according to the CNN.
If passed, the revised law would make it illegal to “use or compel the use” of offensive objects in public places – although it is not specified what kind of clothing could be banned. Violators could be detained for up to 15 days and fined 5,000 yuan ($681). The bill to amend the law also targets freedom of expression as it would prohibit the “production, dissemination and publication of articles or remarks” deemed to harm the Chinese spirit.
The rules are proposed amendments to the country’s Public Security Administration Punishment Act, which came into force in 2006. Existing measures already give police the power to detain suspects for weeks for a wide range of crimes, from vandalism to public order offences. . China’s legislature said it would collect public comments on the proposal throughout September.
There are already reactions
Some Chinese social media users expressed concern and called on others to oppose the plan.. Several jurists also questioned the implied ambiguities of the proposed amendment and the absence of specific guidelines.
“Who will affirm the spirit of the Chinese nation and by what procedures?” Constitutional Law Professor Tong Zhiwei, from East China University of Political Science and Law in Shanghai, wrote on Chinese social media platform Weibo.
“If the Commission passes this article as currently drafted, it will inevitably lead to people being arrested and sentenced by law enforcement and justice based on the will of their leaders, which will cause endless damage.”he warned.
Criminal law professor Lao Dongyan, from Beijing’s Tsinghua University, said the law could amount to a violation of human rights.
“State power intervenes directly in the field of everyday clothing of individual citizens, which is obviously an excessive interference”the professor wrote on Weibo.
Lao also expressed concern that the amendment could fuel extreme nationalism and “intensify competition with some countries, undermining China’s diplomatic standing.
Source: News Beast
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