Hong Kong was facing up to a new reality on Wednesday, after China’s central government imposed a sweeping national security law late the night before that critics say has stripped the city of its autonomy and precious civil and social freedoms, and cements Beijing’s authoritarian rule over the territory.
In total, 30 people were arrested under the charges of illegal assembly, violating the national security law, obstruction of police, and possession of offensive weaponry, according to police.
The national security law came into effect in Hong Kong in the lead-up to July 1 — the 23rd anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong from British rule to China — and dramatically broadens the powers of local and mainland authorities to investigate, prosecute and punish dissenters.
In vague language, the law criminalizes secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign powers. People convicted of such crimes can face sentences of up to life in prison.
July 1 is traditionally a day of protests in the city but for the first time since handover, police did not give permission to protesters to hold peaceful demonstrations.
Despite the threat of stricter penalties, a small number of protesters did turn out chanting and waving flags. Police demanded they stop chanting pro-independence slogans — they also unfurled a purple flag warning protesters of being in violation of the new law.
On June 30, police commanders were told in a training session that anybody seen waving an independence flag or chanting for independence should be arrested, a police source said — as should anyone found in possession of independence flags.
On Wednesday, Hong Kong’s top official, Chief Executive Carrie Lam, said the law is a «crucial step to ending chaos and violence that has occurred over the past few months» in the city.
«The national security law is the most important development in securing ties between China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region since the handover,» she said, framing criticism of the law as «vicious attacks.»
The stringent new legislation and its 66 articles were kept secret from the public until the law went into effect and appear to offer the government, courts, police and authorities a roadmap to quash any hint of the mass anti-government protests that rocked the city last year.
Here are some of the key takeaways of the law, according to a translation from Chinese state news agency Xinhua.
The law establishes four new offenses of secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign powers. The maximum penalty for each is life imprisonment. The Chinese central government will establish its own law enforcement presence in Hong Kong, labeled the «Office for Safeguarding National Security.» A national security committee for Hong Kong will also be established, comprised of Hong Kong government officials and an adviser appointed by the Chinese central government. The group’s workings «shall not be disclosed to the public,» and «decisions by the committee shall not be amenable to judicial review.»Activities such as damaging public transport and public services «in order to pursue political agenda» can be considered terrorism — a provision that appears to target protesters who last year disrupted traffic and the city’s infrastructure.
