Hong Kong’s national security work far from over, Lam says, pointing to need for Article 23 and fresh education push
- Carrie Lam promises to carry out public consultation on local legislation safeguarding national security
- Authorities must also devise ways to combat fake news and better protect cybersecurity, she says
Hong Kong has made progress in safeguarding national security but the to-do list on this front remains “substantial”, the city leader has said, stressing the need to pass local legislation on the issue and educating teachers and students about the topic.
“It was wrong,” she said. “In the past … every official was vague and ambiguous about the issue, but now we will simply respond that we will enact laws to safeguard national security and accurately target specific crimes.”
An Article 23 bill was shelved amid a massive public backlash in 2003, and all three former chief executives since the 1997 handover from British to Chinese rule declined to revive it. Since taking over in 2017, Lam has continually maintained she would only push forward the legislation when the “timing is right”.
