Hong Kong issues new security law bill with tougher penalties

Hong Kong has published its draft of a new national security law. According to some lawyers, the law broadened what could be considered sedition and state secrets, with tougher penalties for anyone convicted of those crimes and several others.

The draft also includes new laws encompassing treason, espionage and external interference, and is being closely watched by foreign diplomats and businesses who fear it could further dent freedoms in the financial hub already subjected to a China-led crackdown on dissent that has sent many pro-democracy politicians and activists into jail or exile.

The Legislative Council started debating the bill last Friday amid tight security, with several members of the largely pro-Beijing body telling reporters they expected the bill to be passed into law before mid-April.

Hong Kong leader John Lee had earlier urged lawmakers to pass the bill "at full speed".

"The geopolitics have become increasingly complex, and national security risks remain imminent," a government statement said.

Some lawyers analysing the draft said elements of the revised sentences for some listed offences are similar to Western ones but some provisions, such as those for sedition and state secrets, are broader and potentially tougher. The bill includes sentences of up to life imprisonment for treason, insurrection and sabotage, 20 years for espionage and 10 years for crimes linked to state secrets and sedition.