The legislation implementing Article 23 of the Basic Law will not undermine the human rights and freedoms that Hong Kong residents enjoy, Secretary for Security Regina Ip said yesterday.

Ip was responding to the concerns of the US consul-general in Hong Kong, James Keith. In a statement, he said that the government should strive to ensure that the basic freedoms of individuals are not infringed by the legislation.

The bill states three times that the new law must comply with Article 3 of the Basic Law which protects Hong Kong people's human rights, Ip said.

The clauses on treason and sedition are more lenient when compared with the existing laws, she said, adding that only the actual use of force will result in a breach of subversion offences.

Ip stressed that the legislative process is highly transparent and it was only five years after the reunification that the government began the consultation on implementing Article 23.

The government has conducted an extensive consultation on the bill and, after listening to the views of the community, has made extensive clarifications and adjustments to the bill, she added.

The government will resume debate on a second reading of the National Security (Legislative Provisions) Bill on July 9, the last meeting of the current legislative session.

The decision was adopted yesterday by the Bills Committee after completion of clause-by-clause examination of the bill on Saturday.

Committee Chairman Ip Kwok-him will on Friday report to the House Committee in order to validate the resumption of the second reading.

But the meeting yesterday was marred by controversies as the pro-democracy camp, who were absent from Saturday's meeting, attempted to revive the clause-by-clause examination.

After their plan was vetoed, the committee went on to discuss the amendments proposed by the government.

But just as Ip prepared to put the second reading proposal to vote, Martin Lee of the Democratic Party stirred upset again by moving a no-confidence motion against Ip.

Lee accused Ip of not fulfilling his duty as chairman because he did not give members enough time for discussion.

The motion was described as frivolous by members of the Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong to which Ip is affiliated. The motion was vetoed 10-21.

(HK Edition 06/18/2003 page1)

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