The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) today submitted a response to the Hong Kong Security Bureau’s proposed anti-subversion legislation. In the submission, CPJ said the legislation presents a grave threat to freedom of expression in Hong Kong.
“The Hong Kong media have a well-deserved reputation in the region for their lively and aggressive reporting,” said CPJ executive director Ann Cooper. “If enacted, this legislation will send a clear message to Hong Kong journalists that coverage of sensitive issues, especially Chinese politics, will no longer be encouraged or even tolerated.”
Under Article 23 of Hong Kong’s Basic Law, the territory’s constitution, Hong Kong is required to enact “on its own” legislation covering subversion, sedition, secession, and theft of state secrets. (The Basic Law came into effect upon Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty on July 1, 1997.) On September 24, 2002, the Security Bureau released a Consultation Document on the proposed legislation and called for public comment during a three-month public consultation period, which ends on December 24, 2002. The precise statutory language of the final legislation is not included in the document.
CPJ believes that the proposed legislation exceeds the requirements of Article 23 and should not be enacted. The language of the Consultation Document is unacceptably vague, making it impossible for the public—including legal experts and journalists—to make informed comments on the final legislation. In the submission, CPJ urges the Security Bureau to issue the proposed text of the legislation in the form of a White Bill, or a draft of the law, and to give adequate time for public comment.
With this legislation, “the shadow of the more restrictive practices of the People’s Republic of China appears to be looming,” said CPJ in the submission. “We seek concrete assurance that the normal practices followed by journalists working in free societies will continue to be protected in Hong Kong.”
China, the world’s leading jailer of journalists, currently holds 36 journalists in prison. Most imprisoned Chinese journalists are held on subversion or state secrets charges.
http://www.cpj.org/news/2002/HongKong09dec02na.html#more
Posting date: 11/Dec/2002
Original article date: 10/Dec/2002
Category: Media Report
