Hong Kong City marks 23 years under China with new legislation

HONG KONG: Hong Kong on Wednesday commemorated the 23rd anniversary of its handover by the UK to China, with the controversial national security law for the city drawn up by Beijing already in effect. In an address, Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam described the law, whose content was only released once it had been enacted, as "constitutional, lawful, sensible and reasonable", reports Efe news

She added that "the enactment of the National Security Law in Hong Kong is a turning point to take Hong Kong out of the current impasse and to restore stability and order from the chaos," although a large part of the local population, as well as journalists, activists and lawyers, fear that the new legislation will undermine the freedoms enjoyed by the city.

The full draft of the controversial legislation, in six chapters consisting of 66 articles, was released late Tuesday night after it became effective in the city amid widespread concerns about its implications, despite official reassurances that only a small minority would be targeted, said the South China Morning Post newspaper.

It lists four categories of offences – secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with a foreign country or external elements to endanger national security.

The maximum penalty for each crime is life imprisonment, although the suggested sentence for some minor offences is less than three years' imprisonment.(IANS)

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