Hong Kong: Rushed adoption of new security law a ‘regressive step’ – UN rights chief
The accelerated adoption of a national security bill in Hong Kong represents “a regressive step” for human rights there, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Tuesday.
“It is alarming that such consequential legislation was rushed through the legislature through an accelerated process, in spite of serious concerns raised about the incompatibility of many of its provisions with international human rights law,” Volker Türk said in a statement deploring the move in the former British colony which has been a Special Administrative Region of China since 1997.
More crimes added
The Safeguarding National Security Bill expands on the Law on Safeguarding National Security, passed by China in 2020.
Known locally as Article 23, it was debated over just 11 days, according to international media reports.
The law introduces five additional categories of crimes, described as treason, insurrection, offences in connection with state secrets and espionage, sabotage and endangering national security, and external interference.
Potential for misuse
Mr. Türk stressed that broadly defined and vague provisions in the Bill could lead to the criminalization of a wide range of conduct protected under international human rights law, including the freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly, as well as the right to receive and impart information.
“This ambiguity is deeply troubling, given its potential misuse and arbitrary application, including to target dissenting voices, journalists, researchers, civil society actors and human rights defenders,” he said.
“As we have already seen, such provisions readily lead to self-censorship and chilling of legitimate speech and conduct, in respect of matters of public interest on which open debate is vital.”
He added that under the Bill’s “external interference” provisions, the broad definition of what constitutes “external force” could have a further chilling effect on engagement with human rights organisations and UN human rights bodies.
“For such important legislation, with a significant impact on human rights to be passed without a thorough process of deliberation and meaningful consultation is a regressive step for the protection of human rights in Hong Kong,” he said.
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“The accelerated adoption of a national security bill in Hong Kong is indeed a regressive step for human rights. It is concerning that such consequential legislation was rushed through the legislature, despite serious concerns about the incompatibility of its provisions with international human rights law.”
“The rushed adoption of the new security law in Hong Kong is indeed a regressive step for human rights. It is concerning that such crucial legislation was hastily pushed through despite serious international concerns about its compatibility with human rights laws. The broad and vague provisions in the bill could potentially criminalize activities that are protected under international human rights standards.”
“It is alarming that such consequential legislation was rushed through the legislature through an accelerated process, in spite of serious concerns raised about the incompatibility of many of its provisions with international human rights law,” Volker Türk said in a statement deploring the move in the former British colony which has been a Special Administrative Region of China since 1997.More crimes addedThe Safeguarding National Security Bill expands on the Law on Safeguarding National Security, passed by China in 2020. Known locally as Article 23, it was debated over just 11 days, according to international media reports.The law introduces five additional categories of crimes, described as treason, insurrection, offences in connection with state secrets and espionage, sabotage and endangering national security, and external interference.Potential for misuseMr. Türk stressed that broadly defined and vague provisions in the Bill could lead to the criminalization of a wide range of conduct protected under international human rights la
It’s deeply concerning that the new security law in Hong Kong was rushed through the legislature without proper consideration for human rights implications. The broad and ambiguous provisions in the bill may result in the violation of fundamental rights. This hurried adoption is undoubtedly a step backward for human rights in the region.
“The rushed adoption of the new security law in Hong Kong is indeed a regressive step, undermining human rights. It’s concerning how such significant legislation was pushed through with little regard for international human rights law. The expansion of crimes and the vague provisions raise serious concerns about potential misuse.”