Two Hong Kong officials have condemned “baseless allegations” against a recent update to the city’s national security law, which empowers the chief executive to certify any criminal case as a national security offence.
Security Secretary Chris Tang told the Legislative Council (LegCo) on Thursday afternoon that he noticed some people had misunderstood or “deliberately misinterpreted” the supplementary legislation.
They tried to scare the public by claiming the additional law would expand the scope of national security offences, turning minor offenses into national security crimes, he said.
The security chief called the allegations “false, misleading, deceptive and intimidating” and said some people were trying to incite hatred against the government.
“Some people gave alarming remarks, saying that the government can casually prove any act of the public as a violation of national security. These people may have ulterior motives or are cruel-hearted, hoping to incite others’ hatred of the HKSAR,” Tang said in Cantonese.
Also speaking at LegCo, Justice Secretary Paul Lam said he noted that “some ulterior motives, foreign forces and fugitive media” had made “baseless allegations” against the national security law.
The two ministers delivered their speeches during the first LegCo meeting meeting to review the Protection of National Security (Procedural Matters) Regulations, additional legislation to local national security law, commonly known as section 23.
Authorities approved the additional law through the “negative vetting” mechanism, which allows the law to be approved and come into effect before legislative review.
law DID effective Tuesday, the day after the government submitted the bill to the LegCo.
Lam, the chief justice, said the additional legislation was needed to further explain articles in the Beijing-imposed national security law and Article 23, which stipulate that the chief executive must have the power to determine whether a criminal case involves national security.
In its proposal, the government cited the “legislative intent” of the Beijing-imposed national security law, saying that offenses endangering national security include not only the four types of offenses under the national security law, but also “other offenses endangering national security under HKSAR law.”
Lam said the latest legislative update was intended to further define “other offenses that endanger national security under HKSAR law” and did not introduce any new powers or offences.
Earlier on Tuesday, said chief executive John Lee the new secondary legislation “is simply to make the law even clearer”.
