On 30 June 2020, culminating a legislative process marked by unprecedented haste, secrecy, and a complete lack of public consultation, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPCSC) unanimously passed the sweeping Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (National Security Law or NSL). The NSL prohibits acts of secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces and creates a set of new implementing entities, all effectively under the control of the Central People’s Government (CPG).
But against the troubling rights erosion made possible by the NSL and the political abandonment by the Hong Kong SAR government of its people are: the institutional and normative safeguards inherent in Hong Kong’s judicial and legal system, and the safeguards provided by international human rights instruments, including treaties, covenants, declarations, guidelines, recommendations, and principles. Many UN independent human rights have invoked these safeguards in their published guidelines and communications to the Beijing government reminding it of its obligation to respect and guarantee the rights of the Hong Kong people.
HRIC’s White Paper examines the reasons why, despite the immediate and serious impacts already widely and deeply felt, it is too soon to concede the future of Hong Kong.
LINKS
Too Soon to Concede the Future: The Implementation of The National Security Law for Hong Kong—An HRIC White Paper
Annex A:
Updated HRIC annotated bilingual chart of The Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region with highlights of translation issues and suggested translation changes
Annex B:
Hong Kong’s national security entities and background on key appointed personnel
Annex C:
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