Freedoms, Rights, National Security all to be Protected: HKSAR Official

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, April 13, 2003

Freedoms, Rights, National Security all to be Protected: HKSAR Official

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Freedoms, Rights, National Security all to be Protected: HKSAR Official

While the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government (HKSAR) has the responsibility to legislate to protect national security, it will also protect rights and freedoms according to international covenants.

HKSAR Secretary for Justice Elsie Leung made the remarks Saturday at the symposium organized by the Joint Committee for the Promotion of the Basic Law of Hong Kong to celebrate the 13th anniversary of the promulgation of the Basic Law of the HKSAR.

Leung's comment came at a time when the HKSAR Legislative Council is currently examining the National Security (Legislative Provisions) Bill, which will implement Article 23 of the Basic Law.Article 23 requires the HKSAR to implement law itself to protect national security.

Leung reiterated, "We have stressed three times in the proposedlegislation that the interpretation, application and enforcement must be in line with Article 39 of the Basic Law, that is, citizens' rights and freedoms are protected according to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights(ICESCR)."

Speaking on the same occasion, Deputy Secretary for Security Timothy Tong stressed again the need for legislating on Article 23,saying that the protection of national security is the cornerstonefor protecting all the kinds of rights and freedoms.

Article 23 of the Basic Law stipulates that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall enact laws on its own to prohibit any act of treason, secession, sedition, subversion against the Central People's Government, or theft of state secrets.

It also says that the drafted law shall prohibit foreign political organizations or bodies from conducting political activities in the region and to prohibit political organizations or bodies of the region from establishing ties with foreign political organizations or bodies.

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