Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Secretary for Security Regina Ip said Tuesday that she hopes the National Security Bill can be passed by the HKSAR Legislative Council before its summer recess in July.
Ip made the remarks at the start of the council's National Security (Legislative Provisions) Bill's committee meeting Monday.
"If the law can passed soon to enable citizens to see the clear and precise picture of the law early, this will be helpful to the society," she said.
The bill has been written by the HKSAR government to fulfill the requirement as stipulated in Article 23 of the Basic Law of the HKSAR, which says that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall enact laws on its own to prohibit any act of treason, secession, sedition, subversion against the Central People's Government, or theft of state secrets.
According to the article, the drafted law shall also prohibit foreign political organizations or bodies from conducting political activities in the HKSAR and to prohibit political organizations or bodies of the SAR from establishing ties with foreign political organizations or bodies.
Meanwhile, HKSAR Legislative Councilor Ng Leung Sing said since the bill involves the amending of other legislations, that contain many terms referring to the colonial administration in the past, such terms should be rectified soon.
In response, Ip said such terms are being changed in the process of the adaptation of law, for which the HKSAR Department of Justice is responsible.
(Xinhua News Agency March 26, 2003)
