The United Nations Anti-Terrorism Measures Bill will provide the necessary legal authority to fully comply with the mandatory requirements of the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1373 and certain recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF), the spokesman said.

As a modern "terrorist act", the bill will empower the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to specify by notice in the Gazette terrorists, terrorist associates or terrorist property and for the Secretary for Security to direct holders of terrorist funds not to make those funds available to any person, he said.

In addition, he said that it will prohibit the provision of collecting funds for terrorists and terrorist associates, the making of funds or financial services available for the benefit of terrorists or terrorist associates, the supply of weapons to terrorists or terrorist associates and the recruitment of persons to serve with bodies which have been specified by the Chief Executive.

The bill will also enable forfeiture of property which represents the proceeds arising from a terrorist act, or is intended to be or was used to finance or otherwise assist in the commission of a terrorist act; and require persons to report if they know or have reasonable grounds to suspect that property is terrorist property, the spokesman said.

In order to prevent and deter hoaxes, which are likely to cause panic and confusion in densely-populated Hong Kong, the bill will make it an offense to take actions which will cause others to wrongly believe that a terrorist act has been, is being or will be carried out.

The spokesman said Hong Kong's existing laws and administrative arrangements could already effectively deal with most activities typically associated with terrorists, such as kidnapping, murder, unlawful use of explosives causing injury to life and damage to property, etc.

The UNSCR 1373 and the FATF Special Recommendations, however, deal principally with the financing of terrorism and new legislative measures will be required in this regard, he said.

In early February this year, the Legislative Council Panel on Security was briefed on the scope of the bill and the issues to be covered in the proposed legislation. Major provisions of the bill were explained during the meeting. The bill will be published in the Gazette on April 12 and introduced into the Legislative Council on April 17.

( April 11, 2002)