International Online Article: "Get Up! People who don't want to be slaves—" This impassioned melody has made hundreds of millions of Chinese people's hearts and minds surging on countless occasions. The national anthem has its serious and solemn significance, but in China, the national anthem is sometimes used in wedding and funeral occasions, networking activities and even KTV, and some Chinese people also set the national anthem as a bell, and even arbitrarily tampered with the lyrics of the national anthem. All of this is an insult to the national anthem.
Recently, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress announced the legislative work plan for 2017. Among them, the bill on the National Anthem Law is planned to be tried in early June this year. This means that the national anthem, like the national flag and national emblem, will have a special law. So in other countries around the world, is there special legislation for the national anthem? What does the foreign national anthem law cover?
Malaysia: Disrespecting the national anthem will result in a fine or jail time
Malaysia enacted the National Anthem Act in 1968, which contains provisions on lyrics and scores, strictly regulating the occasions when the national anthem will be played, such as saluting the Malaysian Supreme Or Vice-Head of State, any occasion on which the Supreme Head of State attends (including broadcasting), and official ceremonies.
Malaysia's National Anthem Act requires nationals to stand upright when hearing the national anthem (except on radio and in the press) as a sign of respect. Anyone who shows disrespect for the national anthem in public will be fined up to 100 ringgit (about 159 yuan) or imprisoned for up to 1 month.
As mentioned above, some Chinese people tampered with the national anthem and changed the national anthem to "second milk song" and "stock speculation song". This phenomenon is also common around the world. The most influential national anthem adaptation event was the "Wong Ming Chi Incident" in Malaysia.
In 2007, the Malaysian national anthem "My Motherland" was raped by Huang Mingzhi, a Malaysian student studying in Taiwan, who named the adapted song "I Love My Country" and uploaded it to YouTube to trigger heated discussion among netizens. The song touches on many ethnic and religious sensitivities, and the Malaysian government has also said the authorities may sue him under Section VIII(2) of the National Anthem Act. The incident ended with Huang Mingzhi returning to China in 2008 and turning himself in to the national police headquarters.
The picture shows Huang Mingzhi
Russia: Strict regulations on the occasion of the national anthem and related etiquette
Russia's National Anthem Law is part of the Russian Constitution. In the National Anthem Law, Russia clearly stipulates the score and lyrics of the national anthem of the Russian Federation, "Russia, Our Sacred Motherland", and strictly stipulates the occasions when the national anthem must be played, such as the inauguration of the president, the opening/closing of the house meeting, the reception of foreign leaders, and so on. Russia's National Anthem Law also stipulates that all television and radio stations in Russia must play the national anthem at the beginning and end of each day.
As for the details of the broadcast of the national anthem on official occasions abroad, Russia's National Anthem Law also clearly states that the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs should consider the relevant traditions of the target country and formulate relevant rules for the broadcast of the national anthem in each country.
In addition, for the relevant etiquette when playing the national anthem, the Russian "National Anthem Law" also has detailed provisions: when the national anthem is played on a formal occasion, everyone should stand up and salute, and men should take off their hats. If the national anthem is also being hoisted at the same time, then everyone should pay attention to the flag.
Belarus: There is uniform legislation on the use of the national flag, national anthem and national emblem
In Belarus, the anchor flag, the national anthem and the national emblem are all divided in the same statute, the Law on State Symbols of the Republic of Belarus. The regulations make detailed provisions on the specific regulations, details and application of the national flag, national anthem and national emblem. Like Russia's National Anthem Law, Belarus also regulates the etiquette associated with the playing of the national anthem.
Ukraine: The national anthem should be played on all major official occasions
Compared with Russia's National Anthem Law, Ukraine's National Anthem Law is much simpler, with only 4 articles in total. The National Anthem Law details the lyrics of the Ukrainian national anthem, "Ukraine is still on earth", and states that the Ukrainian national anthem should be played on all major official occasions at anchor.
Canada: National anthem lyrics and sheet music are not subject to copyright restrictions
Canada also has a special National Anthem Act, but there are no special rules on the occasions on which the national anthem is played, and the performance of the national anthem before or after the ceremony is entirely up to the organizers, and the lyrics and scores of the national anthem are not subject to copyright restrictions. For commercial purposes, Canada's national anthem, "Oh! Canada is not subject to copyright restrictions and can be used without government permission.
But Canada's National Anthem Act requires that nationals hear the anthem as a sign of respect, as in other countries. When the national anthem sounds, men should take off their hats, but women and children do not.
Canada's national anthem, Oh! Canada" lyrics
United States: The right hand must be relieved to sing the national anthem
The National Anthem Act of the United States seems to be integrated into the National Flag Act. Section 301 of the U.S. Flag Act specifies that when singing the national anthem, if there is a flag display (such as raising the flag) and a uniformed military march, everyone else should stand up to the flag and put their right hand on the mouth of the heart. If there is no flag display, all people should face the direction of music, and what is required is the same as if there is a flag display.
However, although the U.S. Flag Act is a federal regulation, there is no penalty for people breaking the law. At the Rio Olympics, Brielle Douglas, one of the players on the U.S. women's gymnastics team, was forced to apologize because she did not put her hand on her chest and look at the flag when the U.S. national anthem was played during the post-match awards ceremony.
U.S. women's gymnastics team at rio Olympics awards ceremony (Image: Sohu Sports)
As a representative of the national image, the national anthem should be regulated through legislative means, which is not only to maintain the national image, but also to cultivate patriotic feelings and promote patriotism. Behind the creation of each national anthem there is a national historical memory, the national anthem is the carrier of the national spirit, and it is of great significance to legislate for the national anthem. This time, the Chinese government drafted the "National Anthem Law", and we will wait and see what measures will be introduced.