Hong Kong’s Legislative Council has unanimously passed the controversial security law for the Chinese Special Administrative Region.
The legislative assembly of the former British crown colony voted in favor of the draft. As a result of the mass protests for more democracy more than four years ago, punishments in Hong Kong are being tightened and the police are being given more power to investigate or arrest suspects in certain cases. Critics also fear further restrictions on freedom of expression.
The government had to introduce the law under the constitution but has so far failed to do so. There was no doubt about the approval, as the 90 members of the Legislative Council are considered to be predominantly loyal to Beijing. There were almost no protests against the draft in advance. Prime Minister John Lee wanted to rush it through parliament.
In principle, the draft expands the security law that the central government in Beijing introduced in 2020 after the protests in Hong Kong. New additions include the offenses of treason, sedition, theft of state secrets and espionage, sabotage to endanger national security and interference from outside, as emerged from the more than 200-page paper.