Hong Kong: Backpedalling on sedition law. After stirring up a huge
political fight with a planned anti-subversion law, Hong Kong government
leaders announced a scaled-back version on 28 January that appeared
designed to appease the criticisms of human rights groups.
The territory's Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa told journalists earlier that
while most Hong Kong people accept the need for the legislation, it is
being toned down to address concerns about free press rights in the former
British colony. Journalists had expressed concerns they could run afoul of
the law by getting stories with information that had not been officially
released.
Hong Kong no longer plans to outlaw possession of seditious materials, and
authorities will limit a ban on the theft of state secrets and apply it
only in cases where people obtain classified information by computer
hacking, stealing or by bribing officials, Tung said.
However the territory's security chief Regina Ip told journalists that
government was not caving in to opponents. "We are not talking about
concessions," Ip said. "It is clarification."
AP report via NJ.com.
Human Rights Watch on the original proposals.
http://www.indexonline.org/indexindex/20030127_hongkong.shtml
