Published 19:45 IST, June 20th 2020
China reveals details of its controversial national security law for Hong Kong
Despite the ongoing backlash over China’s national security bill on Hong Kong, it not only passed the draft on June 19 but also announced certain details.
Despite the ongoing backlash over China’s national security bill on Hong Kong, it not only passed the draft on June 19 but also announced certain details. Marking the most significant change in former British colony’s freedom since it came under Chinese rule in 1997, Beijing has reportedly said that the draft included a new national security office for the city with an agenda to put together the intelligence and handle criminal activities against the national security. The Chinese media also reported that the new controversial legislation is aimed to tackle the separatist activity, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with the forces of the foreign countries.
According to reports, administrative bodies in the city ranging from finance to immigration will be directly answerable to the central government in China. The details have been further criticised by the opponents who believe that this bill strongly threatens the promised autonomy of Hong Kong under which it came under China’s rule of ‘One Country, Two Systems’. Moreover, another Chinese media outlet had reported that Beijing was planning to hold the entire draft of the bill as more editing was expected in the upcoming weeks.
The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress concluded on June 19 that the new legislation would contribute to attaining a balance with Hong Kong’s common law and human rights conventions. The proposed law will reportedly also authorise former British colony’s administration to deal with ‘bulk of enforcement duties and prosecutions’ and allow the central government to intervene in ‘under certain extreme conditions’. However, this came just days after the pro-democracy protesters marked the one-year anniversary of the violent demonstrations that had rocked the city since 2019.
Lam calls opponents of bill 'enemy of people'
Just days before China passed the draft, the city’s leader Carrie Lam has said that people who are trying to ‘smear’ Asian superpower’s effort are the “enemy of the people”. Just last month China had announced a plan to introduce legislation in Hong Kong to deal with secession, subversion, terrorism and interference of foreign nations. Most critics including the US, Australia, Canada and the European Union, who jointly criticised China’s bill believed that it endangers the autonomy of the former British colony which became a part of the mainland under ‘One Country, Two Systems’. However, the pro-Beijing leader had said that China is not going to give up the new controversial security bill despite the backlash.
(Inputs: Agencies)
Updated 19:45 IST, June 20th 2020