Asia Hong Kong to Introduce Law on New “National Security” Breaches


The Hong Kong government will introduce a law that will include new offenses against “national security”, announced Wednesday the chief executive during the first session of the Legislative Council reserved for “patriots”.

Carrie Lam has indicated that her government intends to pass, in addition to the current law imposed in 2020 by Beijing on secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign powers, a local law including some forty other offenses against national security.

The head of the executive did not specify these new offenses but indicated that they will be in conformity with article 23 of the “Basic Law”, mini-Constitution of the theoretically semi-autonomous city. This article 23 deals with “betrayal, secession, sedition (and) subversion”.

It also aims to prohibit foreign political organizations from carrying out political activities in Hong Kong and local political organizations from having links with foreign political bodies.

Very fuzzy law

The drastic National Security Law was imposed in June 2020 by Beijing on Hong Kong in response to massive and often violent pro-democracy protests.

Written in a very vague manner, it makes it illegal to express almost any form of dissent and has reshaped the legal landscape of a land once considered a bastion of freedoms.



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