Legislation of Hong Kong’s homegrown security law near completion

Hong Kong’s legislature has resumed the second reading of Article 23 of the Basic Law in an extra meeting on Tuesday.

It is expected lawmakers will vote through the second, third, and possibly a final reading within the day, according to the legislature’s agenda. A clause-by-clause scrutiny of the 212-page bill was completed on Friday.

Lawmakers have voiced their support for the new security bill in the meeting that started at 9.00 this morning.

Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, chairwoman of the New People's Party and the city’s former security chief, said the current legislative work on the national security law carries a greater responsibility compared to 2003.

She said large-scale unrest such as Occupy Central would not have occurred if the law had been enacted 21 years ago.

Ip added that if Article 23 had successfully been enacted in 2003, there would have been relevant offenses to hold lawbreakers accountable - including those involved in the social unrest back in 2014 and 2019.

Lawmaker Lai Tung-kwok, also a former security chief, said the government took reference from provisions on safeguarding national security in foreign countries during the drafting of the bill, with the provisions having been carefully considered before being finalized.

He labeled the current legislation process as a “historical moment” and called for unanimous support from all legislators.

His opinion was echoed by Starry Lee Wai-king of the DAB, who said every jurisdiction has its own national security law and enacting Article 23 is the constitutional duty of Hong Kong.

"National security law is important to one country as [it is] to other countries throughout the century. There is no exception to Chinese sovereignty... The drafting of the bill has made reference to the relevant laws of most foreign jurisdictions, with of course its own unique characteristics." Lee added.

Approval of the legislation isn’t in doubt as the government previously took steps to ensure only “patriots” could be lawmakers.