Govt says it fears Article 23 law will be demonised

Security Secretary Chris Tang said on Friday that the government will need to consult the public well on planned national security legislation under Article 23 of the Basic Law, and watch out for people “demonising” the law.

Tang said his bureau is drafting the relevant bill at full-speed, including by studying the 2003 bill that was shelved after a mass protest.

“[Officials] have to be careful about people with ulterior motives once again demonising and maliciously smearing the Article 23 legislation,” Tang wrote on his official blog.

The minister said the authorities will prevent public misunderstanding of the proposed legislation by promoting and explaining it.

He also said the government will conduct a public consultation exercise over plans to bring in laws on cyber security.

He said the legislation would clearly define the cyber security responsibilities of infrastructure operators.