Hong Kong leaders moving toward limiting freedoms

In 1997, the government of the United Kingdom handed control of Hong Kong to China in accordance with an agreement made 50 years  earlier. At the time, commentators speculated at how long citizens of Hong Kong would retain the economic and social freedoms that had made the province an oasis surrounded by the desert of totalitarianism.

Only five years since the transfer of control, there is strong evidence that Hong Kong’s government will take decisive action to limit the personal freedoms of its citizens in 2003. According to representatives of Freedom House, the United States’ oldest human rights monitoring organization, the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is currently preparing national security legislation required by Article 23 of the territory’s Basic Law, which assigns penalties for acts of treason, sedition and subversion.

Freedom House representatives have examined the legislation and have concluded that it is filled with vague and broad language that will allow the Hong Kong government enormous latitude to arbitrarily suppress basic freedoms. “Even if never applied, the law as outlined would create a hostile environment in Hong Kong for the exercise of freedom of expression,” said a Freedom House statement.

Religious freedom under fire

“Freedom of religion will also be in danger,” concluded Merv Knight, executive director of Voice of the Martyrs — Australia. “Under Article 23 religious groups will be liable to be deemed a National Security Risk‚ and appropriate action be taken,” Knight said.

A recently released Consultation Document outlines the government’s approach to the new legislation, but at this time the government has refused to release a more detailed “white bill” to the public. Dec. 24 was the deadline for the public to provide its feedback. Final passage of the legislation is scheduled for July 2003.

“Since the July 1997 handover of Hong Kong back to China, there has been a slow but steady erosion of the protection of civil liberties accorded to the residents of Hong Kong,” noted Jennifer Windsor, executive director of Freedom House. “We concluded that this new, overly broad legislation will serve as a mechanism to further restrict the protection of basic freedoms within the territory.”

Hong Kong democracy activists, including students, journalists, human rights activists, religious groups and business organizations have denounced the law, calling it a direct threat to fundamental civil liberties guaranteed for Hong Kong residents after the territory was handed over to China from the United Kingdom five years ago.

Critics of the law have appealed to members of the international commun­ity to analyze the Consultation Document and to register their views with the Hong Kong government.                      

(EP)