HONG KONG (AP) – Hong Kong lawmakers unanimously approved a bill. new national security law On Tuesday, it gave the government further powers to crush opposition and is widely seen as the latest measure in a wide-ranging political crackdown sparked by the 2019 pro-democracy protests.
Congress passed the national security bill during a special session. The law expands authorities' powers to prosecute citizens for illegal acts, including “collusion with outside forces,” as well as charges such as treason, rioting, espionage, and leaking state secrets. be able to prosecute.
This comes on top of a similar security law that the Chinese government enacted in 2020, which has already largely silenced voices of opposition in the financial hub.
Hong Kong's Legislative Council is packed with Beijing supporters Following the election review, hastened the approval of the bill.Since then the bill was announced The committee met daily for a week on March 8, following Hong Kong leader John Lee's appeal to pass the law “at full speed”. After the vote, Lee said the law would go into effect Saturday.
“Today is a historic moment for Hong Kong,” he said.
Critics fear the new law will further erode civil liberties that Beijing promised to uphold for 50 years when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
The newly approved law threatens tough penalties for a wide range of acts that authorities call a threat to national security, with the most serious acts, such as treason and sedition, carrying life sentences. Lesser offenses, such as possession of seditious publications, can result in several years in prison. Some provisions allow for criminal prosecution for acts committed anywhere in the world.
Legislative Council President Andrew Leon said in the morning that all members were honored to take part in this “historic mission.” The Council President typically chooses not to participate in such votes. But this time, Leung marked the occasion by voting.
John Burns, emeritus professor of politics and public administration at the University of Hong Kong, said the process reflected the city's “deliberately weakened system of liability failure.”
He said MPs had considered the bill in detail and the government had adopted several amendments suggested by them. But Burns said that during the debate, many lawmakers focused on ways to expand the state's reach on national security issues and strengthen penalties for related crimes. He added that the administration is happy to oblige.
“For those who value government accountability, this process is disappointing but not surprising given the changes that central government has imposed since 2020,” Burns said.
Simon Young, a law professor at the University of Hong Kong, said the legislature had gone beyond “rubber stamping” the law, noting that officials had attended lengthy meetings to clarify and amend the bill. But Young said that in the past, lawmakers may have sought expert opinion.
“It's unfortunate that it wasn't done on this occasion,” he said.
However, the Chinese government's Hong Kong Liaison Office said on Tuesday that the bill would create a strong “firewall” for Hong Kong's stability and prosperity, allowing the city to focus on promoting economic development and improving people's lives. He said that this shows that the Lee also said other countries are enacting legislation to address the risks as appropriate.
Hong Kong's political landscape has changed dramatically since massive street protests in 2019 that challenged Chinese rule over the semi-autonomous region and Beijing's enforcement of a national security law.
Many leading activists have been prosecuted, and some have gone into exile abroad. Influential pro-democracy media outlets such as Apple Daily and Stand News were shut down. This crackdown led to an exodus of disillusioned young professionals and middle-class families to the United States, Britain, Canada, and Taiwan.
Hong Kong's mini-constitution, the Basic Law, requires the city to enact its own national security law. A previous attempt in 2003 sparked massive street protests, with half a million people gathering and local Article 23, is shelved. These protests against the current bill did not take place mainly due to the chilling effect of the existing security law.
China and the Hong Kong government claim that Beijing-imposed laws have restored stability after the 2019 protests.
Officials say the new security law balances security with the protection of rights and freedoms. The city government said it was necessary to prevent a recurrence of protests and that only a “very small” number of residents would be affected.
The new law includes strict regulations for people convicted of endangering national security for some crimes who are found to be cooperating with foreign governments or organizations rather than acting independently. Includes penalties. For example, those who damage public infrastructure with the intent to endanger the state can be sentenced to 20 years in prison, and those who collude with outside forces can be sentenced to life in prison. In 2019, protesters occupied Hong Kong's airport and destroyed a train station.
Businessmen and journalists expressed this. fear How could such a wide range of laws affect their daily work?
Observers are watching closely to see whether authorities expand enforcement to other areas of expertise, and what impact this will have on Hong Kong people's freedoms.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk was quick to condemn the bill's early adoption.
“It is a regressive step for the protection of human rights in Hong Kong that such important legislation, which has serious implications for human rights, is passed without thorough deliberation and meaningful consultation,” he said in a statement. said.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul said in a statement that China's takeover of Hong Kong's legal, economic and political systems means that Hong Kong is no longer a safe or viable place for those who believe in democracy. He stated that he has made it clear that there is no such thing. A place for global business development. ”
Last week, a group of four U.S. lawmakers who lead two Congressional committees on China called on Secretary of State Antony Blinken to review his travel advisory to Hong Kong, sanction Hong Kong officials responsible for the bill and It called for the removal of diplomatic immunity and immunity from these countries.us office
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Associated Press writer Didi Tan in Washington contributed to this report.
