Hong Kong’s new national security law came into force on March 23, putting into immediate effect tough penalties of up to life imprisonment for crimes including treason and insurrection. The law—commonly referred to as Article 23—targets five categories of national security crimes, and was swiftly passed by Hong Kong’s opposition-free legislature on March 26.
The US, the EU, Japan, and Britain have been among the law’s strongest critics, with the UK foreign secretary, David Cameron, saying it would “further damage the rights and freedoms” of those in the city.
Under the new law, penalties run up to life in prison for sabotage endangering national security, treason, and insurrection; 20 years for espionage and sabotage; and 14 years for external interference. It has also expanded the British colonial-era offence of “sedition” to include inciting hatred against China’s Communist party leadership, with an aggravated sentence of up to 10 years in jail.
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