Devoid of any political dissent, Hong Kong passed a draconian new national security law on Tuesday that the U.S. government said “curtailed the rights and freedoms of people in Hong Kong” and undermined the promises made under the one-country two-systems agreement.
The law was passed in a marathon session on Tuesday, with Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee calling the moment “historic,” Knewz.com has learned.
Named Article 23, the law has long been promised to be added to the city’s mini constitution, the Basic Law, but it failed in 2003 and has been a contentious issue in Hong Kong ever since.
Article 23 became a priority for the mainland after the 2019 protest movement, in which many residents demanded more civil rights, but Beijing imposed its own national security law on the city in 2020. Nearly 300 people were arrested as the result of that law.
Of those 300 people, many were high-profile young activists, lawmakers, members of the media and the publisher of a now defunct pro-democracy outlet. A key provision of the law is to make it extrajudicial, which Beijing believes is crucial to go after pro-democracy advocates that have fled the city.
The law punishes people for treason; insurrection; sabotage that endangers national security; external interference in Hong Kong’s affairs; and espionage and theft of state secrets. Its sentencing ranges from several years to life in prison.
If the person is found to have collaborated with “external forces,” which could mean foreign businesses or governments, additional years can be tacked onto the sentencing.
Additionally, the law gives Hong Kong authorities the power to create new offenses due to “unforseen circumstances.”
Furthermore, sedition laws were extended to include “inciting hatred against the Chinese Communist Party,” which could be punishable by 10 years in prison.
Police can now detain someone without charging them for 16 days, rather than the previous 48-hour standard.
The law, which was the fastest bill passed since the city was returned to Chinese rule in 1997, has been criticized for being overly vague, with international companies expression worries about their ability to do business in the city, a financial hub in Asia.
State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told Reuters the U.S. believes the bill represents the acceleration of the closing of a once-open society.
Beijing hit back at criticisms of the bill, especially from Washington, saying it must “immediately stop the political manipulation and interference in Hong Kong affairs.”
Chinese officials point to the increased stability after the 2019 protests as proof that the law worked, and they insist it is the best way to “safeguard the freedoms” of the people of Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong government added that it would only affect “an extremely small minority” of residents.
The law lacked dissent because the government has recently overhauled its system, in which it held a “patriots only” election, in which only candidates screened by the government can run for election. The result of the reforms has been record low voter turnout in the past two elections.
Amnesty International’s China Director said, “With this draconian legislation, the Hong Kong government has delivered another crushing blow to human rights in the city. The authorities have enacted this law in the blink of an eye, killing off any remaining shred of hope that public outcry could counter its most destructive elements.”
She added that “The passing of this law sends the clearest message yet that the Hong Kong authorities’ hunger to accommodate Beijing’s will outstrips any past commitments on human rights.”
The law is set to take effect on Saturday, March 23, The Associated Press reports.
The post ‘A Once Open Society Is Closing’: Hong Kong Passes Security Law Sought by Beijing to Crush Chinese Dissent appeared first on Knewz.
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Author: Kevin McSpadden
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