Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Tuesday called on the opposition camp not to “demonise” the new national security law being tailor-made for the city by China, as she promised her government would explain the details of the legislation after it was drafted.
Ahead of her weekly Executive Council meeting, Lam said stigmatising the law would bring the opposition into conflict with the Hong Kong public, but stopped short of commenting further on the bill, saying she was not involved in its drafting, reports the South China Morning Post (SCMP) newspaper.
The law Beijing is imposing on Hong Kong aims to prevent, stop and punish secession, subversion of state power, terrorism and foreign interference in the city.
“The procedures of the implementation and the source of power will be written clearly,” she further added.
Lam also took aim at the critics of the bill, insisting it would be “constitutionally and legally in order” and should not be challenged by foreign governments.
Hong Kong was rocked by months of huge and often violent pro-democracy protests last year. In response Beijing has announced plans to impose the new law covering subversion, secession, terrorism and foreign influence.
The security law has faced criticism from western countries, especially the United States and Britain. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had described China’s announcement to tighten its control over Hong Kong as unilateral, arbitrary and disastrous, saying the former British colony no longer qualifies to be considered as autonomous under mainland China.
Pompeo also called the law a “death knell for the high degree of autonomy Beijing promised for Hong Kong.”
He said that China’s continued respect for Hong Kong’s democratic institutions and civil liberties was “key to preserving its special status under US law.”