Finish line nears for Article 23 legislation

Hong Kong could pass Basic Law Article 23 legislation before April 15, sources said.

The revelation came as Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and some lawmakers rushed back from Beijing for the Legislative Council meeting today, when the security and justice panel, legal services panel and the Basic Law Article 23 legislation subcommittee are set to hold a meeting.

Brave Chan Yung, deputy head of the NPC delegation from the city, said five delegates - including head Ma Fung-kwok - have returned to the city early.

Chan said the others in the delegation will stay in Beijing.

Some Hong Kong members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference were also understood to have returned home for the Legco meeting.

Chaired by lawmaker Martin Liao Cheung-kong, the legislation subcommittee held its first meeting last week. Among its 15 members, four are either NPC deputies or CPPCC members.

Some lawmakers - including Priscilla Leung Mei-fun, Jimmy Ng Wing-ka and Junius Ho Kwan-yiu of the justice and legal services panel, and Johnny Ng Kit-chong, Michael Lee Chun-keung, Ma and Kennedy Wong Ying-ho of the security panel - are expected to head back to Beijing after today's meeting.

Sources said the "unusual" arrangement was made as the government wants to pass the legislation by April 15, the National Security Education Day.

A full version of the legislation would be announced soon for the first reading next Wednesday, they said.

Ng said Basic Law Article 23 legislation "is a law that everyone wants to complete as soon as possible. If it can fit into the legislative schedule, we will scrutinize it as soon as possible."

Sources have said earlier that many lawmakers have already received orders to stay in Hong Kong despite the Legco recess during the two sessions meeting in Beijing.

It was also understood that the government has set a very high bar for the Legco meetings for the law enactment, requiring all lawmakers to participate in the meetings, and be mentally prepared for additional meetings to pass the law as soon as possible.

John Lee said he has already finished the main itineraries of his Beijing trip before returning to Hong Kong yesterday, one day earlier than planned.

"The sooner we enact Article 23, the sooner we can better safeguard national security," Lee said.

Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said the government has received 13,489 submissions on the 30-day consultation of the legislation paper, and 98.6 percent supported it.

Among the 97 opposing comments, which only accounted for 0.72 percent of the total submissions, half of them are anonymous and one-fourth are from "anti-China groups" like Hong Kong Watch and Amnesty International, wanted persons overseas and national security suspects on remand, Tang said.