FC: Hong Kong techies oppose "security" laws required by Beijing

From: Declan McCullagh (declanat_private)
Date: Tue Nov 26 2002 - 06:37:52 PST

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    Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2002 12:39:36 +0800
    From: "Robert Clark" <rclarkat_private>
    To: declanat_private
    Subject: Hong Kong SMS, hyperlinks may be seditious
    
    Declan
    
    The tech sector has joined the swell of those opposed to the Hong Kong
    government's Article 23 security legislation - draft laws against,
    treason, sedition, subversion, secession required by Beijing.
    
    The legislator who represents IT and telecom sectors, Sin Chung-kai, has
    warned that cellphone messages, hyperlinks and computer games, not to
    mention the presently-unregulated online news sector, would fall under
    the definition of seditious publications (original statement is in
    Chinese - herewith our story):
    http://www.telecomasia.net/telecomasia/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=39170
    
    
    
    The Hong Kong Journalists' Association has called for the sedition laws
    to include public interest and prior publication defences.  It draws
    particular attention to the classification as state secret "information
    relating to relations between the central authorities of the PRC and the
    HKSAR":
    http://www.hkja.org.hk/frontpage/cen_index.htm
    
    
    The Hong Kong government defends the proposed laws by saying they are in
    line with the Intenational Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
    However, it refuses to issue a "white bill", giving precise details of
    what will be in the laws.
    
    The US State Department has joined those calling for publication of the
    draft in full, and has expressed its concern about the "unlawful
    disclosures" measures.
    
    http://www.usconsulate.org.hk/ushk/state/2002/112101.htm
    
    
    Robert Clark
    Telecom Asia
    Hong Kong
    
    
    
    
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