While we were all out protesting in the sun, doing something else in the sun or hiding in air con yesterday, China casually passed a revised National Security Law that outlines Hong Kong’s responsibility to protect Chinese sovereignty for the first time.

All 154 members of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee voted in favour of the move. At least someone knows how to keep the troops in order, ey, CY?

Article 11, which takes effect immediately, insists that “safeguarding China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is the common obligation of all Chinese people, including those in Hong Kong and Macau as well as Taiwan”.

HKFP reports that “national security” is defined as “state power, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity,” and that the new rules promise to “prevent, stop and punish treason, separatism, inciting subversion and leaking state secrets”.

The bill also addresses cyber-security for the first time, with Article 26 outlining plans for punishing the “dissemination of unlawful and harmful information”.

Some fear this will allow Beijing to further restrict freedom of expression online.

The NPC has called for Hong Kong to pass its own security bill, Article 23, as soon as possible.

Yesterday, CY Leung agreed that the controversial law – which was shelved after mass protests in 2003 – should be passed, but admitted that it won’t be done by the current administration.

Photo: Wikimedia

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