TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — In an attempt to counter Beijing's new national security law for Hong Kong, residents of the region have developed creative ways to express dissent without risking arrest.

While the new legislation prohibits all acts of "secession" and "subversion," which may include slogans hinting at Hong Kong's independence or criticism of the central government, many Hongkongers refuse to hand over their freedom of expression and are instead exercising it with a different approach. Some have adopted coded language to dodge the legal pitfalls, while others have turned to "blank" memos to signify a "white terror" and their inability to speak freely.

Despite Beijing's ban on the slogan "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times," which caught on during the 2019 Hong Kong anti-extradition protests, Hong Kong residents have managed to keep the phrase alive using the English letters "GFHG, SDGM" and the numbers "3219 0246," which mimics its tone and rhythm. Meanwhile, pro-democracy restaurants and shops across the region have taken down messages from their Lennon Walls, replacing them with blank sticky notes, according to Storm Media.

Hong Kong veteran democracy activist Chan Kin Man (陳健民) said that "Hidden language is something that the laws cannot ban" and that people of the former British colony will not be silenced by the new security law. He stressed that suppression of any kind would only "catalyze" people into responding more actively, reported Liberty Times.

Since the law first came into effect on Wednesday (July 1), approximately 400 Hongkongers have been rounded up on various charges, including unlawful assembly, possession of weapons, and "furious driving." Global leaders have bashed the freshly minted security law for undermining Beijing's promise to uphold the "one country, two systems" framework, including Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who has promised to provide humanitarian assistance to Hongkongers.