Hong Kong unanimously passes new national security law

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STORY: Hong Kong's legislature unanimously passed a new national security bill on Tuesday (March 19).

Critics, including the U.S. government, say this major piece of legislation further threatens the China-ruled city's freedom.

And could be used to "eliminate dissent through the fear of arrest and detention."

The package, known as Article 23, punishes offenses including treason, sabotage, sedition, the theft of state secrets, external interference and espionage.

Sentences range from several years to life imprisonment.

The vote came within a fortnight of the legislation being tabled.

All 89 lawmakers present, including the legislature's president, voted to pass the bill.

The assembly once had a strong pro-democracy camp but was overhauled in 2021 to ensure only Chinese "patriots" could run for public office.

Here's the city's leader John Lee after the vote:

"This represents a proud moment in the glorious history of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.”

The legislation will come into effect on March 23.

Authorities say it is necessary to plug loopholes in the national security regime.

That regime was bolstered in 2020 by another law imposed directly by China, which at the time said it was aimed at restoring stability after pro-democracy protests a year earlier.

The new law will also have extraterritorial effect, giving rise to fears it could be used to intimidate and restrict the free speech of residents outside Hong Kong.

Eric Lai is a fellow at the Georgetown Center for Asian law in Washington, D.C.. He spoke to Reuters hours after the legislation was tabled on March 8.

“This gives anonymous power and discretion to the law enforcement to deny the rights of the rights to access to lawyer of choice of arrestees. And this is also a problematic approach because compared with other western jurisdictions, such extreme conditions could only be used against a terrorist.”

Hong Kong officials say the laws are no more severe than those in other countries, like the U.S., Britain and Singapore.

China's State Council Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said the law would "secure Hong Kong's prosperity and stability" as well as safeguard the interests of overseas investors, democracy and freedom.