Hong Kong Watch makes submission to Hong Kong government for Article 23 public consultation
Today, Hong Kong Watch made a submission to the Hong Kong government’s public consultation for the proposed Article 23 legislation.
On 30 January 2024, the Hong Kong government announced the launch of a public consultation process for their proposed new domestic security legislation under Article 23 of the Basic Law of Hong Kong.
The law is set to prohibit seven types of offences, and has proposed provisions which are vague and will criminalise the Hong Kong people’s peaceful exercises of human rights. The proposed law includes a number of procedural changes that will dramatically undermine due process and fair trial rights in Hong Kong.
Article 23 will bring further devastating consequences for human rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, beyond the impact of the National Security Law imposed by Beijing in 2020. It will also further violate Hong Kong’s international obligations under international human rights law.
On 19 February, Hong Kong Watch published a joint statement, signed by over 85 civil society organisations, condemning the Hong Kong government’s consultation for Article 23 legislation.
In the statement, the civil society organisations urged concerned governments to, individually or together with like-minded allies, publicly oppose the introduction of Article 23, and communicate these concerns directly to the Chinese and Hong Kong governments. The statement also urged the international community to hold Hong Kong officials accountable for the growing human rights violations in the city by imposing targeted sanctions on officials responsible for introducing Article 23, among other recommendations.
The Hong Kong government condemned this statement, despite inviting the public to contribute to the public consultation process, and we acknowledged their response.
Hong Kong Watch’s submission to the public consultation highlights our concerns about the Article 23 public consultation document and makes a number of recommendations to the Hong Kong government, including:
Repeal the 2020 National Security Law and cease prosecution of individuals charged with offences under the National Security Law;
Ensure compliance with international legal obligations under the following: the Sino-British Joint Declaration, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights;
Ensure that any restrictions on the basic rights of the people of Hong Kong on national security grounds should be legal, legitimate, and proportional, and ensure that legislation is consistent with the protection of international human rights laws and standards.
Our full submission is available here.
Benedict Rogers, co-founder and Chief Executive of Hong Kong Watch, said:
“Although Hong Kong Watch has been repeatedly condemned and harrassed by the Hong Kong government via the use of the 2020 Hong Kong National Security Law, we are still eager to constructively engage in policy and legislative conversation with the authorities.
We have submitted our concerns regarding Article 23 and are making the submission publicly available to ensure that it is accessible to all, and that the public can see our fact-based legal analysis, and the recommendations that follow.
We urge the Hong Kong government to consider our concerns when drafting legislation under Article 23, and ensure that it complies with Hong Kong’s legal obligations under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and international human rights law.”
香港監察就23條公眾諮詢遞交意見書 促港府確保立法符合國際人權法
今天，香港監察就《基本法》第23條立法公眾諮詢，向香港政府遞交意見書。
2024年1月30日，港府宣布就《基本法》第23條立法展開公眾諮詢。
23條旨在禁止七類罪行，其中多項擬議規定含糊不清，並將香港人和平行使人權的行為訂為罪行。23條包括若干程序修訂，將大幅損害香港正當法律程序和公平審訊權利。
23條將對香港人權和自由帶來更為嚴重的後果，超越2020年北京所實施《國家安全法》的影響，並將進一步違反香港在國際人權法下的國際義務。
2月19日，香港監察發表獲逾85個民間組織簽署的聯合聲明，譴責港府擬推行23條立法。
聯署組織在聲明中促請相關政府各自或聯同志同道合的盟友採納多項建議，包括公開反對推行23條，並直接向中國和香港政府傳達憂慮。聲明同時促請國際社會制裁負責推行23條的官員，就香港日趨嚴重的侵犯人權行為向香港官員追究責任。
港府邀請公眾參與諮詢，卻譴責上述聲明，香港監察確認收悉其回應。
香港監察意見書點出我們對23條立法公眾諮詢文件的憂慮，並向香港政府提出多項建議，包括：
廢除2020年《國家安全法》，停止起訴被控觸犯《國安法》的人士；
確保遵守《中英聯合聲明》、《公民及政治權利國際公約》、《經濟、社會及文化權利國際公約》下的國際法律義務；
確保以國家安全為由限制香港人基本權利的任何行為合法、合理、合乎比例，並確保立法符合保護國際人權的法律和準則。
香港監察意見書全文請見此處。
香港監察共同創辦人兼行政總監羅傑斯（Benedict Rogers）表示：
「雖然香港監察多次被香港政府利用《國安法》譴責及騷擾，但仍然渴望與當局展開建設性的政策及立法對話。
我們已提交對23條的憂慮，並公開意見書，確保公眾能夠讀取並查閱我們基於事實的法律分析及隨後建議。
我們促請香港政府在草擬23條立法時考慮我們的憂慮，並確保其遵守香港在《中英聯合聲明》和國際人權法下的法律義務。」