Anyone in Hong Kong found guilty of secession, subversion\u00a0or\u00a0terrorism will now be sentenced to life in prison under the controversial new security law passed by\u00a0China\u00a0this \u2026<\/b>
\nAnyone in Hong Kong found guilty of secession, subversion or terrorism will now be sentenced to life in prison under the controversial new security law passed by China this week.
The details emerging about the law, which went into effect Tuesday, come amid fresh concerns in Hong Kong and abroad that it will be used to curb opposition voices in the Asian financial hub.
\u201cThe speed and secrecy with which China has pushed through this legislation intensifies the fear that Beijing has calculatingly created a weapon of repression to be used against government critics, including people who are merely expressing their views or protesting peacefully,\u201d said Joshua Rosenzweig, head of Amnesty International\u2019s China Team.
He called the law\u2019s passage \u201cthe greatest threat to human rights in the city\u2019s recent history.\u201d
The legislation will be enforced by a national security committee that is being established under Beijing\u2019s control, according to Sky News. The station says the group\u2019s operations will be kept under wraps and its decisions cannot be challenged by courts in Hong Kong.
The list of offenses that could lead someone to be charged with a serious crime are wide-ranging, as the terrorism charge includes disrupting public transport, while the subversion one includes preventing Chinese or Hong Kong government agencies from performing their duties, Sky News reports.
And the charges can be imposed on people who aren\u2019t permanent residents of the semi-autonomous territory as well, Sky News also reported, citing state media.
„It marks the end of Hong Kong that the world knew before,\u201d activist Joshua Wong reportedly wrote on Twitter after the law went into effect.
Wong, along with fellow activists Agnes Chow and Nathan Law, issued statements on Facebook saying they would withdraw from their organization Demosisto, which then announced that it would disband with the loss of its top members.
Wong said \u201cworrying about life and safety\u201d has become a real issue and nobody will be able to predict the repercussions of the law, whether it is being extradited to China or facing long jail terms.
Ahead of the law\u2019s passage, the Trump administration said Monday it will bar defense exports to Hong Kong and will soon require licenses for the sale of items that have both civilian and military uses.
\u201cWe cannot risk these items falling into the hands of the People\u2019s Liberation Army, whose primary purpose is to uphold the dictatorship of the (ruling Communist Party) by any means necessary,\u201d Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.
On Wednesday, Hong Kong’s government will mark the 23rd anniversary of the territory’s passing from British to Chinese control. A series of official events are scheduled and a heavy police presence is expected to deter any anti-government protests of the type that rocked the city for the second half of last year.<\/p>\n