Hong Kong Security Law Enters Into Force, Imposes Penalties Up to Life Imprisonment

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st July, 2020) The Chinese law on national security in Hong Kong entails punishment of three-year to lifetime imprisonment for activities related to separatism, according to freshly-published details of the legislation that has reignited protests in the peninsula and caused a backlash abroad.

Full details of the law remained unknown until only after it was passed by the parliament's Standing Committee and enacted by the president earlier on Tuesday. The law took effect symbolically on the eve of Hong Kong's annual holiday marking the handover of its sovereignty to Beijing with affix special administrative status under the 1984 UK-Chinese agreement.

As published by the Hong Kong government, the law, formally titled "Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region," designates as a crime the planning of, implementation of and involvement in actions pursuing to undermine national unity by use of force or threat of use of force.

More specifically, it includes secession, illegitimate change of legal status and transfer under foreign rule, applicable to Hong Kong and any other Chinese region.

"For leaders and persons who have committed serious crimes, the penalty is life imprisonment or imprisonment of up to 10 years; for those who actively participated in these actions, the punishment is three to 10 years of imprisonment; for other involved individuals, the penalty is imprisonment of up to three years, arrest or registration with the police," the text read.

According to earlier reports and statements of people who had seen the text before publication, it was to codify Beijing's perception of crime relating to separatism, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign states and the punishment thereof.