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Graphic shows a guide to Hong Kong’s security law.
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POLITICS

Hong Kong security law – key provisions

By Jordi Bou

July 1, 2020 - China has approved a contentious national security law for Hong Kong that is seen as Beijing’s boldest move to date to clamp down on protests and reduce Hong Kong’s autonomy.

The law, which includes 66 articles and more than 7,000 words,
takes direct aim at the antigovernment protests that have convulsed Hong Kong over the past year.

It will punish crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison, heralding a more authoritarian era for China’s freest city.

China says the laws targeted at a few “troublemakers’ and accuses Britain and the U.S. of interfering in internal matters and fomenting unrest in Hong Kong.

Passage of the law came amid fears in Hong Kong and abroad that it would be used to curb opposition voices in the financial hub. The U.S. has already begun moves to end special trade terms given to Hong Kong after the former British colony was returned to China in 1997.

The law’s passage “represents the greatest threat to human rights in the city’s recent history,” said Joshua Rosenzweig, head of Amnesty International’s China Team.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 01/07/2020; STORY: Graphic News; PICTURES: Getty Images
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