Hong Kong’s new national security law came into force on Saturday, putting into immediate effect tough penalties of up to life imprisonment for crimes including treason and insurrection.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Friday expressed “deep concern” that the law could be used to undermine rights and curb dissent, adding it could damage Hong Kong’s reputation as an international finance hub. In response, authorities cracked down on protesters, and Beijing imposed a national security law in 2020 – targeting secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces – which has effectively silenced opposition voices among Hong Kong’s once-vibrant civil society.But Lee – sanctioned by the United States for his role as security chief during the 2019 protests – has said Article 23 was still needed to “plug” the legislative gaps of Beijing’s law.
City leader Lee is now empowered to create new offenses carrying jail terms of up to seven years through subsidiary legislation, while the security minister can impose punitive measures on activists who are overseas, including cancelling their passports. Former US House speaker Nancy Pelosi said at a Friday press conference that the new law was an “alarming expansion of the Chinese Communist Party’s assault on freedom in Hong Kong.”