Journalists working in Hong Kong have voiced feelings of being in danger due to the “vague” legislative proposal for the city’s domestic security law, according to a local press group chief.
Ronson Chan, chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA), revealed preliminary survey results indicating that over 90 percent of responding members believed that the proposed Article 23 legislation would significantly impact their work. Chan made these remarks during a panel discussion organized by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong (FCCHK) on Monday.
Article 23 of the Basic Law mandates the government to enact laws prohibiting acts of treason, secession, sedition, and subversion against Beijing. However, attempts to enact this legislation in 2003 were met with mass protests, resulting in its failure. It remained a sensitive topic until the implementation of the separate, Beijing-imposed security law in 2020. While pro-democracy advocates express concerns about its potential negative impact on civil liberties, authorities argue that there is a constitutional obligation to ratify it.
Last month, the government reignited the controversial legislative process by releasing a 110-page consultation paper, inviting public feedback within a four-week period. The consultation is scheduled to conclude next Wednesday.