Regarding the National Security Ordinance that the Hong Kong government is aiming to enact, the local Press Association has issued a written opinion stating that it may have a negative impact on press freedom.
The Hong Kong government is aiming to enact its own National Security Ordinance to crack down on acts that threaten national security, such as theft of state secrets, espionage, and interference by foreign forces.
The Hong Kong Press Association submitted a written opinion to the government on the 24th, expressing concerns that the enactment of the ordinance could have a negative impact on press freedom.
In this document, ``State secrets include new fields such as economics, society, and science and technology, and the scope is extremely wide and the definition is ambiguous.There is a risk that the media will refrain from reporting for fear of breaking the law and become discouraged.'' ” points out.
They also point out that they are concerned that foreign public media and media that receive funding from foreign governments may be labeled as 'foreign forces.'
Furthermore, the Japan Journalists Association requests that the draft ordinance provide adequate protection for the media so as not to cause irreparable damage to press freedom.
The enactment of this ordinance was forced to be withdrawn in 2003 due to strong public opposition, but after the Hong Kong National Security Law came into effect in 2020, protests against the government have been strictly suppressed.
The Hong Kong government will collect opinions until the 28th of this month and will submit a draft ordinance to parliament as soon as possible.