You're fooling yourself if you think this can't happen in the US..
HK unveils controversial security law
Thursday, February 13, 2003 Posted: 6:30 AM EST (1130 GMT)
HONG KONG, China (Reuters) -- Hong Kong's government has taken the wraps off a planned anti-subversion law, giving the public their first detailed look at the most controversial legislation to be proposed by the government since the territory's return to Chinese rule.
Tough-talking security chief Regina Ip told a news conference after the bill was unveiled that the government had listened to concerns and softened certain parts of the bill to ensure freedoms were protected.
But critics say the government has not gone far enough to dispel deep fears that the law could be used arbitrarily to imprison anyone critical of leaders here or in Beijing.
"If you have nuclear weapons that can destroy the world 100 times over and we deactivate some of them, it's not going to help a lot," said Law Yuk-kai of the Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor.
Beijing wants Hong Kong to enact the legislation as soon as possible to prevent hostile forces from using this southern territory as a base to subvert the communist mainland.
Under the law, people found guilty of acts of treason, sedition, secession from or subversion against the mainland government could be imprisoned for life.
The government held public consultations on the planned law late last year, but repeatedly declined to release detailed wording of the proposed legislation until now, saying ordinary members of the public would not be able to understand it.
Urgent timetable
Security Secretary Regina Ip says the government has listened to concerns
The release of the draft bill means there will not be a second round of consultations before the government publishes the proposed bill on Friday.
Any attempts by opponents to water it down with amendments will be difficult as the legislature is dominated by pro-government and pro-China lawmakers.
The government wants the bill passed by July.
Ip told the news conference that several parts of the law had been toned down following the public consultations, which ended in December.
The changes included removing the possibility that foreign nationals could be charged with treason and redefining and modifying terms like "state secrets" and "unauthorised access" to protect media freedom, she said.
"The government has taken heed of people's views and concerns and incorporated many suggestions in formulating the bill, which has struck a good balance between protecting national security and safeguarding people's rights and freedoms," Ip said.
But pro-democracy and rights activists say the changes were far from reassuring.
'Smokescreen' concessions
Concessions by the government were mere smokescreens, said lawmaker James To of the Democratic Party.
To said the government had not moved an inch on the most controversial provision -- which allows for any group in Hong Kong to be banned if they received funds or direction from an outlawed group in China, or are under its control.
Religious and pro-democracy or rights groups were most at risk from the clause, political analysts have said.
"This is the biggest threat to the 'one country, two systems' principle, because anything that's banned on the mainland will be at risk here," said To, referring to the agreement which promised the former British colony a high degree of autonomy under Chinese rule.
Law agreed: "We cannot safely say any group will be protected ...it's a blank cheque for the government to ban any group in Hong Kong. It extends and creates new power for the government."
