Head of Hong Kong’s anti-graft body backs new security law, saying ‘stability is the foundation of a clean society’
Hong Kong Free Press
The head of Hong Kong’s anti-corruption body has given the legislation of a new, homegrown security law his full support, saying “stability is the foundation of a clean society.”
Woo Ying-ming, commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), told local media outlets during a press conference to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the ICAC on Wednesday that it was “reasonable” for Hong Kong to enact legislation targeting activities that endangered national security.
“Rule of law and stability are the foundations of a clean society… If people keep inciting riots and being destructive, how could we develop the economy? How could people make a living? If [people] are not able to make a living, how can they have integrity?” Woo said in Cantonese.
“In any country around the world, if its political environment is stable, its economic development is healthy, and its people enjoy stable living conditions, then integrity will follow,” the commissioner continued.
Woo added he was confident that following the enactment of legislation under Article 23, Hong Kong’s moral fortitude “will be uplifted to another level. “
More than three years after a Beijing-imposed national security law came into force, Hong Kong authorities began the process of enacting a new, domestic security law – as stated in Article 23 of the Basic Law – announcing a four-week public consultation period that began on January 30.
Article 23 of the Basic Law stipulates that the government shall enact laws on its own to prohibit acts of treason, secession, sedition and subversion against Beijing. Its legislation failed in 2003 following mass protests and it remained taboo until after the onset of the separate, Beijing-imposed security law in 2020. Pro-democracy advocates fear it could have a negative effect on civil liberties but the authorities say there is a constitutional duty to ratify it.
According to the consultation paper, the new law will introduce new offences such as “external interference,” “sabotage activities,” and “insurrection. ” It also provided a definition of “state secrets”, broadened the definition of sedition, and introduced new measures for suspects, including barring detainees from consulting specific lawyers.
Evolving role
The ICAC was established on February 15, 1974, as an independent authority to battle corruption. Woo said in the press conference on Wednesday that following the enactment of the Beijing-imposed national security law, the ICAC has contacted the National Security Department of the police if it found any information linked to national security during the course of its investigations.
The commissioner said the ICAC would also cooperate with other departments on the implementation of Article 23 legislation.
Apart from corruption, the ICAC also tackles alleged election fraud. In 2022, it charged four people over allegedly “inciting others to cast blank votes or not to vote” in the 2021 Legislative Council election.
In late 2023, it charged one man and issued a warrant for an overseas YouTube political commentator over allegedly inciting others not to vote in the “patriots-only” District Council election held in December 2023.
Election laws, which are enforced by ICAC, were revised in 2021 to make it illegal for anyone to encourage others not to vote, to spoil their ballot, or to leave it blank. Violators face up to three years behind bars and a fine of HK$200,000 for minor offences.
Woo said in an exclusive interview with NowTV on Thursday that initially the ICAC had been focused on investigating public organisations. Over the years, it had begun to receive more complaints from private entities, and now 70 per cent of the cases it handled were related to the private sector.
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