Despite escalating international criticism that it could undermine freedoms in the China-ruled city and tarnish its international financial hub status, a new national security law, also referred to as Article 23, was enforced in Hong Kong on Saturday.
The law came into effect at midnight, shortly after pro-Beijing lawmakers in Hong Kong unanimously passed it, expediting the legislation to address what authorities deemed national security vulnerabilities.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee hailed the law as accomplishing a historic mission, stating it fulfilled the trust placed in them by the Central (Chinese) Authorities.
However, the United States expressed concerns regarding the law’s potential to further erode the city’s autonomy and harm its reputation as an international business hub.
“It includes vaguely defined provisions regarding ‘sedition, state secrets’ and interactions with foreign entities that could be used to curb dissent,” remarked U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement.
Following a bilateral meeting in Adelaide on Friday, Australia and Britain voiced criticism against the law, expressing “deep concerns about the continuing systemic erosion of autonomy, freedoms, and rights” in Hong Kong.
Additionally, the United Nations and the European Union highlighted the law’s extremely swift passage, with limited public consultation, by a legislature that has undergone recent overhauls aimed at removing opposition Democrats.
Australia, Britain, and Taiwan have revised their travel advisories for Hong Kong, urging citizens to exercise caution.
The Australian government cautioned travellers, stating, “You could inadvertently break the laws and be detained without charge, with no access to legal representation.”
In response, Hong Kong authorities strongly condemned these actions as political manoeuvres, criticising them for presenting skewed, fact-twisting, scaremongering, and panic-spreading remarks.
Hong Kong, once a British colony, reverted to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 with the assurance that its high degree of autonomy and freedom would be safeguarded under the “one country, two systems” framework.
However, in recent years, numerous pro-democracy politicians and activists have faced imprisonment or exile, while liberal media outlets and civil society groups have been forcibly closed.
In response to these developments, 145 community and advocacy groups, led by the overseas-based Hong Kong Democracy Council, issued a joint statement condemning the law.
They called for sanctions on Hong Kong and Chinese officials involved in its passage and advocated for a review of the status of Hong Kong’s Economic & Trade Offices worldwide.
Hong Kong activist Frances Hui emphasised the need for the United States to advocate for political prisoners and freedom in Hong Kong.
Speaking at a news conference in Washington alongside the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), Hui stated, “Every time we let authoritarians get away with atrocities, we risk other bad actors attempting to do the same.”
Chris Smith, co-chairman of the CECC, criticized Hong Kong trade offices, describing them as “simply become outposts of the Chinese Communist Party, used to engage in transnational repression”.
Meanwhile, China defends the security crackdown as necessary to restore order following months of sometimes violent anti-government and pro-democracy protests in 2019.
Approximately 291 individuals have been arrested for national security offenses, with 174 people and five companies charged thus far.
Chinese authorities assert that all are equal before the security laws, which have purportedly restored stability.
However, they maintain that while individual rights are respected, no freedoms are absolute.
The previous attempt to pass Article 23 was abandoned in 2003 after 500,000 people protested. This time, public criticism has been subdued amidst the security crackdown.
In Taipei’s Ximending shopping district, over a dozen Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Tibet activists gathered to protest the law and voice their denunciations.
Further protests are planned in Australia, Britain, Canada, Japan, and the United States.
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