批評人士稱，香港國安法是棺材上的最後一根釘

Yesterday Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

HK security law is final nail in coffin, say critics

Kelly Ng - BBC News

Wed, March 20, 2024 at 8:18 a.m. PDT

Western leaders, the UN and rights groups have joined a chorus of criticism of Hong Kong's new security law, saying it further erodes freedoms.

Article 23, as it's known locally, was unanimously passed by the city's pro-Beijing parliament, targeting a range of offences deemed treasonous.

Officials say the law is essential for stability but opponents called it a "nail in the city's coffin".

China has long pushed for the law and said "smears" by critics would fail.

The new law allows for closed-door trials, gives the police rights to detain suspects for up to 16 days without charge and penalties including life sentences, among other things.

"The new national security legislation is going to double down the repression on freedoms in Hong Kong with extended egregious sentences and a broadened definition of national security," said Frances Hui, an activist now based in the US, who described the legislation as a "final nail in a closed coffin".

A group of 81 lawmakers and public figures from across the world, including in the UK, US, Canada and South Korea, issued a joint statement on Tuesday expressing "grave concerns" over the legislation, which expands on the National Security Law imposed by Beijing in 2020, and criminalizes secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces.

"The legislation undermines due process and fair trial rights and violates Hong Kong's obligations under international human rights law, jeopardizing Hong Kong's role as an open international city," the statement said, calling it yet another "devastating blow" for freedom.

The US said it was "alarmed" by the "sweeping and... vaguely-defined" provisions in the legislation, a concern echoed by the EU, which said the law could affect the city's status as a business centre.

Meanwhile, the UK's Foreign Secretary David Cameron said the law would "further damage rights and freedoms" and "entrench a culture of self-censorship" in the former British colony. Hongkongers have told the BBC how they are already being careful with what they say to friends and colleagues, fearing an "informant culture" has developed in the city.

Lord Cameron's comments sparked a strong response from the Chinese Embassy in the UK, which rubbished his remarks as "a serious distortion of the facts".

China's government also hit back at the criticisms of Article 23, saying it is "unswervingly determined to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, implement the 'one country, two systems' policy, and oppose any external interference in Hong Kong affairs".

"All attacks and smears will never succeed and are doomed to fail," foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a regular press conference in Beijing.

Hong Kong's leader John Lee had earlier also defended the law - which was fast-tracked through its final phase on Tuesday - saying the legislation would help the city "effectively prevent, suppress and punish espionage activities, conspiracies and traps from foreign intelligence agencies, and infiltration and sabotage by hostile forces".

"From now on, the people of Hong Kong will no longer experience these harms and sorrows," he added.

But those who led the pro-democracy protests against China's increasing influence on the city see the new law as yet another lost battle.

It brings Hong Kong "one step closer to the system of mainland China", former Hong Kong lawmaker Nathan Law, who is now in exile in the UK, told the BBC's Newsday programme.

"The chilling effect... and the result of a collapse of civil society is impacting most Hong Kong people."

Ms. Hui said she is also concerned the law could also be used to target HongKongers overseas, or their families and friends back home. The city has previously offered bounties for information on activists who fled overseas, and arrested four people in Hong Kong for supporting people abroad who "endanger national security".

Ms. Hui left Hong Kong in 2020 after Beijing imposed the NSL that has since seen more than 260 people arrested. It was introduced in response to massive pro-democracy protests which engulfed the city in 2019.

She said civil liberties in Hong Kong are "long gone" four years after the NSL took effect.

Chris Patten, Hong Kong's last British governor, described the legislation as "another large nail in the coffin of human rights and the rule of law in Hong Kong and a further disgraceful breach of the Joint Declaration".

Hong Kong was handed back by the UK to China in 1997 under the principle of "one country, two systems", which guaranteed the city a certain degree of autonomy. While Beijing and Hong Kong both insist this is still the case, critics and international rights groups say China's grip on the city has only tightened with time.

Translation

西方領導人、聯合國和人權組織紛紛批評香港新國安法，稱其進一步侵蝕自由。

當地親北京的議會一致通過了當地稱為第 23 條，它針對一系列被視為叛國的罪行。

官員表示，該法律對於穩定至關重要，但反對者稱其為「城市棺材上的釘子」。

中國長期以來一直在推動這項法律的實施，並表示批評者的「抹黑」不會成功。

新法允許閉門審判，賦予警方在無提出檢控下將嫌疑人拘留長達 16 天的權利，以及包括無期徒刑等處罰。

現居美國的活動人 Frances Hui 表示：「新的國家安全立法將加倍鎮壓香港的自由，延長令人震驚的刑期，並擴大國家安全的定義」,又將該立法描述為 「封棺的最後一根釘子」。

由英國、美國、加拿大和韓國等世界各地的 81 名立法者和公眾人物組成的團體週二發表聯合聲明，對該立法表示“嚴重關切”，該立法擴大了北京實施2020年的《國家安全法》，將分裂國家、顛覆國家政權、恐怖主義和勾結外國勢力定為犯罪行為。

聲明中寫道：「這項立法破壞了正當程序和公平審判權，違反了香港根據國際人權法承擔的義務，危及香港作為開放國際城市的角色」。並稱這是對自由的又一次「毀滅性打擊」。

美國表示，對該立法中 “全面且…定義模糊” 的條款感到“震驚”，歐盟也表達了同樣的擔憂，稱該法律可能會影響該市作為商業中心的地位。

同時，英國外交大臣卡梅倫表示，該法律將 “進一步損害權利和自由” ，並在這個前英國殖民地 “鞏固自我審查文化” 。 香港人告訴英國廣播公司，他們已經在對朋友和同事說話時保持謹慎，擔心「告密文化」在這座城市發展起來。

卡梅倫勳爵的言論引發中國駐英國使館強烈反應，批評其言論「嚴重歪曲事實」。

中國政府也回擊了對第23條的批評，並表示「堅定不移維護國家主權、安全和發展利益，貫徹『一國兩制』政策，反對任何外部勢力幹預香港事務」。

外交部發言人林劍在北京舉行的例行記者會上表示，「一切攻擊抹黑都不會得逞，也注定失敗」。

香港特首李家超早些時候也為該法案辯護，稱該法案將有助於香港「有效預防、鎮壓和懲罰外國情報機構的間諜活動、陰謀和陷阱，敵對勢力滲透破壞」。

他補充說： “從現在起，香港人民將不再經歷這些傷害和悲傷。”

但那些領導抗議中國對香港影響力日益增強的民主抗議活動的人認為，新法又是一場失敗的戰鬥。

目前流亡英國的前香港議員羅冠聰對英國廣播公司的 Newsday 節目表示，這讓香港「更接近中國大陸的制度」。

“寒蟬效應……以及公民社會崩潰的結果正在影響大多數香港人。”

Hui女士表示，她也擔心該法也可能被用來針對海外的香港人或其在國內的家人和朋友。 香港先前曾懸賞尋找逃亡海外的活動人士的訊息，並在香港逮捕了四名支持海外「危害國家安全」人士的人。

北京實施《國家安全法》後，已有 260 多人被捕, 許女士於 2020 年離開香港。 該法的推出是為了回應 2019 年席捲這座城市的大規模民主抗議活動。

她表示，《國家安全法》生效四年後，香港的公民自由「早已不存在」。

香港最後一任英國總督彭定康形容這項立法是「香港人權和法治棺材上的另一根大釘，也是對《聯合聲明》的進一步可恥違反」。

1997年，英國依照「一國兩制」的原則將香港交還給中國，保證了香港一定程度的自治權。 儘管北京和香港都堅稱情況仍然如此，但批評者和國際人權組織表示，隨著時間的推移，中國對香港的控制只會越來越強。

              So, Article 23 is passed by the city's pro-Beijing parliament. A group of 81 lawmakers and public figures from some free world countries have issued a joint statement on Tuesday expressing "grave concerns" over the legislation. Many critics and international rights groups believe that China's grip on the city will only be tightened with the passage of time. Let’s see how the western countries will react to this new legislation when considering doing business in Hong Kong.