Hong Kong passed a law Thursday banning ridicule of China's national anthem.
Of those who voted for the new legislation _ most of whom are supporters of Beijing _ 41 were for it, and only one was against, The Guardian reports.
A good chunk of lawmakers in favor of democracy instead participated in a last-minute protest, preventing them from being able to take part in the vote, which took place late Thursday afternoon local time.
The new law states the anthem should be taught in schools and it criminalizes behaviors that "insult" or misuse the anthem, such as playing or singing the anthem in a "distorted or disrespectful" way. The new rule also prohibits "publicly and intentionally" altering the lyrics or even its score.
Not only would offenders face a fine of about $6,452 (HK$50,000), they could be sent to jail for up to three years.
Hong Kong residents are worried the law _ which refers to "insult" and "derogatory" in somewhat hazy terms _ could jeopardize freedom of expression in the special administrative region.
Thursday's ruling overlapped with the first-time ban of the annual candlelight vigil held in Victoria Park on the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, which ended June 4, 1989.
The vigil ban, and anthem law, also coincided with China's decision to impose national security laws on Hong Kong, in part to end the anti-government protests that began last summer.
Other "acts and activities" that would be punished under the new laws would be those deemed to threaten national security, among them foreign interference and secession.
