Hundreds of Hong Kong residents silently marched through city streets on Sunday, June 28, to protest the controversial national security law. The Hong Kong police have arrested 53 people, while in mainland China, national legislators are once again studying this text accused of targeting the opposition in the autonomous territory.

>> Read: China wants to set up "national security organ" in Hong Kong

Beijing and the Hong Kong executive assure that such legislation is necessary to restore stability in the former British colony, which returned to China in 1997 and was shaken last year by monstrous demonstrations against the central power.

For critics of the law, including the pro-democracy opposition of Hong Kong, the United States, the G7 countries and the European Union (EU), the text risks undermining the autonomy and freedoms of the territory. 

Large autonomy of the territory

The legislators' meeting of the standing committee of the national parliament, a body subject to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is expected to last three days. A vote is expected a priori Monday or Tuesday. No new details were given on the content of the text.

The law targets separatism, terrorism, subversion and collusion with foreigners, and a "national security organ" under the central government should be established in Hong Kong, the China News Agency reported in June.

Since its handover, the territory has enjoyed a large autonomy from mainland China. Hong Kong people, for example, enjoy freedom of expression and independent justice.

Article 23 of the "Basic Law", which has served as the Hong Kong mini-constitution since 1997, provides that the region will adopt a law prohibiting "treason, secession, sedition (and) subversion".

The Legislative Council (LegCo, the Hong Kong parliament) had already tried to pass such legislation in 2003, but gave up in the face of demonstrations in the city streets.

With AFP

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