Rare HK protest sounds alarm on new security law
HONG KONG: Hong Kong activists yesterday staged a rare public protest against government plans for a new national security law, saying it lacked democratic oversight and human rights safeguards.
Public demonstrations have all but vanished in the Chinese finance hub since Beijing quelled huge, sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019 and imposed a sweeping national security law.
Hong Kong officials now say a further homegrown security law is needed to plug “loopholes”, with justice chief Paul Lam earlier saying he heard no objections during a month of public consultations that ends today.
But activist Yu Wai-pan, from the League of Social Democrats (LSD), told AFP yesterday that “many Hongkongers are quite concerned”.
“I don’t understand why the secretary for justice said he heard no objection or worry,” said Ms Yu.
The LSD is one of the last remaining opposition groups in Hong Kong and its members have faced multiple prosecutions for their shows of dissent.
Ms Yu and two other activists were surrounded by press and more than a dozen police officers as they chanted slogans outside the Hong Kong government headquarters yesterday.
“National security is important to the people, but it must be based on democracy, freedom and rule of law,” said activist Chan Po-ying.
The government referenced examples in the United States and Britain in defending the proposed legislation, but Ms Chan said that comparison was misleading, as Hong Kong was not a democracy.
The month-long public consultation for the new security law, known as Basic Law Article 23, was largely limited to pro-Beijing voices, she added.
Separately yesterday, Hong Kong convicted Joseph John — also known as Wong Kin-chung — of “conspiracy to incite secession”, the first such case involving a dual national.
The 41-year-old Portuguese citizen pleaded guilty to the national security offence.
He admitted to the court that he was chair of the UK-based Hong Kong Independence Party and an administrator of its six online platforms.