Hong Kong mulls amending legislation for firearms

Hong Kong is mulling new legislation to make illicit manufacturing of firearms a separate offense under the Firearms and Ammunition Ordinance, with offenders liable to up to 20 years of jail time.

The move came as the Security Bureau intends to amend the Ordinance to implement the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (the Firearms Protocol), with a view to improving the regulation of firearms in Hong Kong.

Speaking at LegCo on Tuesday, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said under existing legislation, anyone who possesses or operates firearms in any form for business purposes must hold separate licenses issued by the Commissioner of Police for possession and operation.

Failure to do so constitutes a criminal offense, he added.

The security chief said after amending the law, illicit trafficking and manufacturing of firearms or ammunition should be designated as separate criminal offenses to clarify the penalties, with a maximum imprisonment term of 20 years.

The bureau plans to submit a draft bill to the Legislative Council in April, he said.