Hong Kongers will likely receive a life sentence for “treason” in the foreseeable future, while “espionage and sabotage” could lead to up to twenty years in prison. This is evident from a Friday published bill by the Hong Kong government, which still carries a number of high penalties. The Hong Kong parliament no longer has a single opposition member, so the security law is expected to be approved without any problems in early April.
Last January, the Hong Kong government published a first version of the updated security law, which resulted from agreements made during the transfer of Hong Kong from Great Britain to China in 1997. The first version already stated, among other things, that the definition of national security would be aligned. with that of China, which interprets the concept broadly. It was also notable that “insurrection” and “foreign interference” are being further criminalized.
On Friday it became clear what penalties Hong Kongers can expect for violations. Anyone who damages public infrastructure – an example of sabotage according to the government – can receive twenty years in prison. If a Hong Kong citizen also conspires with “external forces”, he may face a life sentence. This could include foreign politicians or international organizations. The maximum penalty for “incitement” involving interference with foreign aid is ten years. Previously it was a two-year prison sentence.
Three hundred arrests
Human rights activists and journalists fear that the new law will further undermine freedom in Hong Kong. So writes Amnesty International that Hong Kong is increasing repression. According to the organization, the new law shows the government’s “eagerness to further dismantle human rights protections and turn its back on its international obligations.”
The Hong Kong government arrested nearly three hundred Hong Kong residents, mainly opposition figures, journalists and activists, since the large-scale demonstrations in 2019 until the end of last year. The new law is in fact an addition to another law introduced in 2020 – the direct cause of the protests – which already seriously undermined the city’s autonomy. The addition makes it possible to prosecute opponents of the Hong Kong government more quickly.
The new legislation, also known as Article 23, is based on Hong Kong’s mini-constitution. That law obliges Hong Kong to introduce national security legislation. The government already tried this in 2003, but large-scale citizen protests prevented this. Protests are not expected now, due to the harshly suppressed demonstrations in 2019 and the severely curtailed right to demonstrate.