“AN EFFECTIVE LOCK”
Sanctioned by the United States for his oversight of the protests in his role as security chief, Lee has called the law “an effective lock to prevent burglars” as authorities seek to combat “threats posed by external forces and local terrorism”.
Penalties run up to life in prison for sabotage endangering national security, treason and insurrection; 20 years for espionage and sabotage; and 14 years for external interference.
It has also expanded the British colonial-era offence of “sedition” to include inciting hatred against China’s Communist leadership, with an aggravated sentence of up to 10 years in jail.
And, as with its 2020 predecessor, some offences committed outside Hong Kong will fall under its jurisdiction.
As part of the 1997 handover from Britain, Hong Kong was guaranteed certain freedoms – as well as judicial and legislative autonomy – for 50 years in a deal known as “One country, two systems”.
This has helped cement the city’s status as a world-class business hub, bolstered by a reliable judiciary and political freedoms distinct from the mainland.
Britain’s foreign minister David Cameron had urged the government to “reconsider” the law, while the United States had said it “risks compounding the 2020 National Security Law that has curtailed the rights and freedoms of people in Hong Kong”.
Source: CNA
