Hong Kong lawmakers unanimously approve second law that gives government more power to curb dissent
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Hong Kong lawmakers unanimously approved a new national security law on Tuesday that grants the government more power to quash dissent. The Safeguarding National Security Bill was passed during a special session of the Legislative Council. The law expands the authorities' ability to prosecute citizens for offenses including 'colluding with external forces' to commit illegal acts, as well as charge them with treason, insurrection, espionage, and disclosing state secrets. This law comes on top of a similar security law imposed by Beijing in 2020. Critics are concerned that the new law will further erode civil liberties in Hong Kong. The law threatens stringent penalties for a wide range of actions authorities call threats to national security, with the most severe offenses punishable by life imprisonment. Lesser offenses, including the possession of seditious publications, could also lead to several years in jail. The law allows for criminal prosecutions for acts committed anywhere in the world. The legislative process was rushed through, with daily meetings held for a week following an appeal by Hong Kong leader John Lee to push the law through 'at full speed.' The law is set to take effect on Saturday. The passing of the law has been met with criticism from human rights organizations and foreign governments. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights denounced the accelerated adoption of the bill, stating that it is a regressive step for the protection of human rights in Hong Kong. The chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee also condemned China's takeover of Hong Kong's legal, economic, and political system, stating that Hong Kong is no longer a place safe for democracy or global business. Businesspeople and journalists have expressed concerns that the broad law will affect their day-to-day work. The passing of this law marks another step in the political crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong that began with the pro-democracy protests in 2019.

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https://apnews.com/article/hong-kong-china-legislative-council-national-security-law-37e1aca2daef8a4f9f998f389ff3d7f5