Hong Kong on Friday published its draft of a new national security law, a document some lawyers said broadened what could be considered sedition and state secrets, with tougher penalties for anyone convicted of those crimes and several others.
The draft which also includes new laws encompassing treason, espionage and external interference, is being closely watched by foreign diplomats and businesses who fear it could further dent freedoms in the financial hub already subjected to a China-led crackdown on dissent that has sent many pro-democracy politicians and activists into jail or exile.
The Legislative Council started debating the bill on Friday amid tight security, and several members of the largely pro-Beijing body told reporters they expected the bill to be passed into law before mid-April.
Hong Kong leader John Lee had earlier urged lawmakers to pass the bill "at full speed".
"The geopolitics have become increasingly complex, and national security risks remain imminent," a government statement said.
Some lawyers analysing the draft said, at first glance, elements of the revised sentences for some listed offences are similar to Western ones but some provisions, such as those for sedition and state secrets, are broader and potentially tougher.
The bill includes sentences of up to life imprisonment for treason, insurrection and sabotage, 20 years for espionage and 10 years for crimes linked to state secrets and sedition.
The European Union, in a statement to Reuters, said it had made clear in a diplomatic note its "grave concerns" over the far-reaching provisions in the bill on "external interference" and the law's extra-territorial reach.
The draft bill, however, noted some rights provisions.
"Human rights are to be respected and protected, the rights and freedoms, including the freedoms of speech, of the press and of publication, the freedoms of association ... are to be protected" the bill read.
Some investors said the desire to fast-track the bill was concerning.
"The fact they are rushing through article 23 shows concern about public opposition. The business community is going to be unhappy unless guard rails are protecting individual rights," Andrew Collier, managing director at Hong Kong-based Orient Capital Research told Reuters.
Simon Young, a law professor at the University of Hong Kong, also said the broad definitions of crimes, especially those linked to foreign interference and collusion, could prove challenging to firms.
"It may well be that businesses or groups that have some connection with foreign governments might fall under the radar as an 'external force'", Young said.
Source: Reuters
香港公佈新國安法 處罰更嚴厲
香港週五公佈了新的國家安全法草案，一些律師表示，這份文件擴大了可被視為煽動叛亂和國家機密的範圍，對犯有這些罪行的任何人以及其他幾人都給予更嚴厲的懲罰。
該草案還包括涵蓋叛國罪、間諜活動和外部干涉的新法律，受到外國外交官和企業的密切關注，他們擔心該草案可能會進一步削弱這個金融中心的自由，該金融中心已經受到中國領導的鎮壓異議的影響，這場鎮壓已經讓許多支持者-民主政客和活動人士入獄或流亡。
立法會在戒備森嚴的情況下於週五開始辯論該法案，這個主要支持北京的機構的幾名成員告訴記者，他們預計該法案將在四月中旬之前通過成為法律。
香港特首李家超早些時候敦促立法者「全速」通過該法案。
政府聲明稱： “地緣政治變得日益複雜，國家安全風險仍然迫在眉睫。”
一些分析草案的律師表示，乍一看，修訂後的一些所列罪行的刑罰要素與西方的刑罰類似，但一些條款，例如煽動叛亂和國家機密的條款，範圍更廣，可能更嚴厲。
該法案包括對叛國罪、叛亂罪和破壞罪判處最高無期徒刑，對間諜罪判處最高20年監禁，對涉及國家機密和煽動叛亂罪判處最高10年監禁。
歐盟在給路透社的聲明中表示，它已在一份外交照會中明確表示，對該法案中有關「外部干涉」的影響深遠的條款以及該法律的域外影響力表示「嚴重關切」。
然而，該法案草案指出了一些權利條款。
法案寫道：「人權應受到尊重和保護，權利和自由，包括言論、新聞和出版自由、結社自由......應受到保護」。
一些投資者表示，快速推進該法案的願望令人擔憂。
「他們倉促通過第23條的事實表明了對公眾反對的擔憂。除非有保護個人權利的護欄，否則商界將會不高興，」香港東方資本研究公司董事總經理安德魯·科利爾(Andrew Collier)告訴路透社。
香港大學法學教授西蒙楊(Simon Young)也表示，犯罪的廣泛定義，尤其是與外國干涉和勾結有關的犯罪，可能對企業構成挑戰。
楊說： “與外國政府有一定聯繫的企業或團體很可能會作為‘外部力量’而受到關注。”
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