The Hong Kong government will create its own national security law
“as soon as possible”
, a text which will be added to the current legislation imposed by Beijing in 2020, its leader announced on Tuesday January 30.
This text will cover five offenses, including treason, insurrection and espionage, indicated several officials including John Lee, head of the local executive.
“I must emphasize that legislation (under) Article 23 of the Basic Law must be done ... as soon as possible
,” Lee said, referring to the mini-article. Constitution of the southern Chinese territory providing for Hong Kong to legislate over its own national security with respect to seven security crimes, including treason and espionage.
“This is a constitutional responsibility of (Hong Kong) (...) which is not assumed 26 years after the handover of Hong Kong”
to China by the United Kingdom in 1997, added John Lee .
Huge pro-democracy demonstrations shook the financial center in 2019, when hundreds of thousands of people protested to demand more freedoms.
In response, Beijing imposed a national security law covering four offenses - secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces - punishable by a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The city is administered under the principle of "One country, two systems" which allows for a separation of legal and judicial structures vis-à-vis mainland China.
In 2003, a local draft text on national security had to be abandoned under pressure from some 500,000 demonstrators opposed to the legislation.