Macau Autonomy - Looking for a Fresh Awakening

Abstract

After 10 years of life, the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) is under pressure because of the moat between expectations and achievements by Macau's local government and the spectrum of autonomy conquered through the leverage of the political arrangement. An arrangement opened by the bilateral negotiations between Portugal and the PRC that led to the signature of the Joint Declaration between the Government of Portugal and the Government of the PRC's concerning to the Question of Macao. A set of mutual obligations ratified in the letter and spirit of Macau Basic Law (MBL). The so-called "second system" has increasingly become under scrutiny as a new Law of State Security (Lei de Bases da Segurança Interna) made its way and was quickly approved by the local Legislative Assmbly, albeit the reservations that rise in the legal community, in the pro-democracy camp and also among many expatriates. This law has beed seen as a Trojan Horse for the mainland interference and control of the MSAR, turning the exercise of the fundamental human rights and liberties uncertain.

Keywords: Macao, China, Autonomy, Rule of Law, Constitutional Law, Federalism, Sovereignty, Portugal

JEL Classification: K10, K33, P20