Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam has reiterated support for the city's new national security legislation – designed to tackle secession, subversion of state power, terrorist activities and collusion with foreign or external forces – and said she "appreciates" that advice from HKSAR government officials has been integrated into the law.
The central authorities have enhanced the draft by absorbing opinions as much as possible, Lam said in an official statement on Saturday night, hours after China's top legislature reviewed the draft national security law– at which time details of its contents were unveiled for the first time.
It calls for a coordination mechanism to be set up regarding the supervising and guiding of the work of the region in the maintenance of state security.
The HKSAR government said such a commission should be established and chaired by the chief executive, Lam said. "We will set up dedicated units in the Hong Kong Police Force and the Department of Justice which will shoulder the major responsibilities in implementing the relevant enforcement work," she added.
The HKSAR government is undertaking the necessary preparatory work, she announced.
Taking into consideration the practical situation in Hong Kong, the enactment at the state level of the legislation to safeguard national security in the HKSAR is a significant decision by the central authorities at a critical moment to enhance the "One Country, Two Systems" institutional system, thus ensuring the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, Lam said in the release.
Widespread protests broke out in Hong Kong last June over a now-defunct fugitive bill that would have allowed suspects to be sent across the border to face trial, plunging the city into turmoil. According to official data, the city has seen the biggest drop in its economy during the first quarter, with a contraction of 8.9 percent year on year.
The legislation will only target an extremely small minority of people who have breached the law, while the life and property, basic rights and freedoms of the overwhelming majority of Hong Kong residents will be protected, Lam stressed.
