Over 400 laws passed to safeguard national interests, promote Macao's development: legislative assembly president

The Legislative Assembly of China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) has enacted or amended over 400 laws since Macao's return to the motherland in 1999 in implementation of the "one country, two systems" principle, safeguarding national sovereignty and security while driving the region's remarkable progress across political, economic, social and livelihood sectors, according to Assembly President Kou Hoi-in.

Kou, who served as a Legislative Assembly member for three terms during the Portuguese rule, transitioned to the SAR's Legislative Assembly after Macao's return to China on December 20, 1999, witnessing the dynamic evolution of Macao's legislature since the return.

"Immediately following the handover ceremony in the early hours of the day of the return, we returned to the Legislative Assembly building to convene the first plenary session of the first SAR Legislative Assembly. This is what we often refer to as the 'midnight legislation.' During this session, we passed 11 essential laws indispensable for the return, establishing the legal foundation for the SAR government, legislature, and judiciary to commence operations. This also laid the legal groundwork for the comprehensive implementation of the 'one Country, two systems' principle and the various systems enshrined in the Macao Basic Law," Kou said at a press conference in the run-up to the 25th anniversary of Macao' return to China.

In 2009, the SAR passed the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the Macao SAR, and last year, it adopted a bill defining national secrets in the region and regulating their protection, both aimed at safeguarding national interests, said Kou, emphasizing a shared understanding that Macao's well-being is intrinsically linked to national security and prosperity.

"We share a common understanding: when national security is ensured and the country thrives, Macao thrives. To safeguard national security, we enacted the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the Macao SAR in 2009, in implementation of Article 23 of the Basic Law. Following this, to continue to follow the requirements of a holistic approach to national security, we improved and amended the relevant legislations, including enacting the Law on Guarding State Secrets in the Macao SAR as supplementary legislation to the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the Macao SAR, to practically protect national sovereignty, security, and development interests. Furthermore, to ensure 'patriots administering Macao,' we've also amended laws such as the Chief Executive Election Law, the Legislative Assembly Election Law, and the Oath of Office Law. These amendments guarantee that the SAR's governance and administrative power remain firmly in the hands of patriots," Kou said.

Economically, the central government has positioned Macao as "One Center, One Platform, and One Base," paving the way for the region's moderate economic diversification. The Legislative Assembly has introduced laws promoting sectors such as healthcare, modern finance, and high-tech industries in recent years, according to Kou.

In terms of social welfare, the assembly has focused on education, employment, social security and housing, in implementation of the necessary legislative measures intended to enhance the well-being of Macao's residents, according to Kou.

Looking ahead, Kou said that the Legislative Assembly aims to facilitate Macao's better integration into China's overall development.

"The Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone in Hengqin has provided Macao with substantial development room, with many aspects highly innovative. The Legislative Assembly has been working closely with the SAR government to advance relevant initiatives. We are confident that through ongoing exploration, we can further accelerate and enhance these efforts, enabling Macao to integrate more effectively into the overall national development," Kou said.

Looking back at the Legislative Assembly's 25-year journey, Kou emphasized the effective collaboration and positive interactions between the Assembly and the SAR Government, ensuring continuous enhancement of Macao's well-being and the residents' sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security.

Over 400 laws passed to safeguard national interests, promote Macao's development: legislative assembly president

A Brazilian national who was deported by the United States in January this year recounted the discriminatory and inhumane treatment he encountered during the repatriation in an interview with China Central Television (CCTV).

Jefferson Faustino was among the 88 deported Brazilians sent by a charter flight from the U.S. to Manaus, a city in northern Brazil, on Jan 24.

During dozens of hours of flight, they were handcuffed, shackled, and denied food and bathroom, and they almost lost their lives to an air conditioning fault, according to Faustino.

"They gave us water in very small bottles on the plane. And I couldn't drink it, because my hands were cuffed to the waist chain. So I had to bend down hard and squash the bottle to spray water into my mouth, because otherwise I wouldn't be able to reach the water at all. Even by doing so, I couldn't get water. When I squeeze the bottle, the water sprayed out and soaked me all over. In the 48 hours of repatriation, they distributed food only one time. It was a spoiled sandwich. The sandwich they gave turned purplish color. I was starving. What could I do? I had to eat," Faustino said.

"In the 48 hours of repatriation, they distributed food only one time. It was a spoiled sandwich. The sandwich they gave me was purple. I was starving. What could I do? I had to eat," he added.

Meanwhile, the American crew enjoyed fresh food and water, Faustino told CCTV.

"No, they had very good food. Every meal, they went over there to heat up box lunches and drink water. The cabin cabinets were full of lunch boxes, full of food, but they didn't give us that food," he said.

The Brazilian deportees protested the unfair treatment and asked for the food and water, but they were not given a response, because of the language barrier, Faustino recalled.

"Yes, we asked. We spoke loudly to them, but the crew didn't speak Portuguese or Spanish, only English. It's a humiliation to us the Brazilians, because we didn't have food and couldn't use the bathroom. The children were crying," he said.

After the plane arrived in Manaus, the air conditioning system broke down and the crew got off the plane, leaving the deportees suffocating in the enclosure.

"People couldn't breathe. The cabin was out of air. I managed to open an emergency exit door and shouted to the police: 'Help! Help! Help!' I yelled for help, asking them to come and save us, because I thought I was dying, I was dying," Faustino said.

The Brazilian government deemed this treatment "degrading" and "unacceptable", with the country's foreign ministry summoning the charge d'affaires of the U.S. Embassy to request an explanation over the issue on Jan 26.

"The U.S. government should be held accountable. Why didn't they train these people responsible for transporting deportees. Since the Trump administration came to power, it has created conflicts in American society and adopted policies that are completely against democracy and public opinion, disrupting relations between the U.S. and its economic and political partners," said Rinaldo Leal, a Brazilian lawyer.

U.S. President Donald Trump signed on his inauguration day an executive order that called for mass deportations of undocumented migrants. Since then, raids and deportations of undocumented migrants, especially those from Latin America, have continued to ramp up.

Brazilian deportee recounts inhumane treatment during flight from US

Brazilian deportee recounts inhumane treatment during flight from US