Lawmakers in Hong Kong have passed a new national security law that gives the government more powers to crush dissent. The move is widely seen as the latest measure in a broader political crackdown sparked by the 2019 pro-democracy protests.
Congress passed the national security bill in a special session on Tuesday. The law comes on top of a similar law imposed by the Chinese government four years ago, which has already largely silenced dissent in the financial capital.
Hong Kong’s Legislative Council, made up of supporters of the Chinese government following an overhaul of the electoral system, has expedited the process. The bill was announced on March 8, and the committee met daily for a week after Hong Kong leader John Lee appealed for the bill to be passed “at full speed”.
The law threatens harsh penalties for a wide range of acts that authorities call threats to national security, with the most severe acts, such as treason and sedition, carrying life sentences. Minor 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 Chairman Andrew Leung said all members were honored to take part in this “historic mission.”
“I completely agree with what the Chief Executive has said. The sooner this bill is completed, the sooner we can protect our national security,” 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.
Hong Kong’s political landscape has changed dramatically since street protests in 2019 that challenged China’s rule over the semi-autonomous region and Beijing’s enforcement of a national security law.
Many prominent activists have been prosecuted, and some have gone into exile abroad. Influential pro-democracy media outlets such as Apple Daily and Stand News have shut down. Disillusioned young professionals and middle-class families are fleeing 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 involving 500,000 people, forcing the bill to be shelved. These protests against the current bill did not take place mainly due to the chilling effect of the existing security law.
The Chinese and Hong Kong governments 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 disloyal residents would be affected.
The measures target “collusion with outside forces” to commit espionage, divulge state secrets, and commit illegal activities. Its provisions include harsher penalties if people convicted of endangering national security by certain acts are found to be collaborating with foreign governments or organizations. .
Those who damage public infrastructure with the purpose of endangering national security can be sentenced to 20 years in prison, or life in prison if they collude with outside forces. In 2019, protesters occupied Hong Kong’s airport and destroyed a train station.
Businessmen and journalists have expressed concern that broad laws against divulging state secrets and foreign interference will affect day-to-day operations.
Observers are closely watching whether authorities expand enforcement to other areas of expertise and the impact this will have on Hong Kong people’s freedoms.
