Member of National Assembly of Quebec Writes to Hong Kong to Show Concern Over Article 23

Verdun, December 13, 2002

Ms. Elsie LEUNG

HK Secretary for Justice

4th floor, High Block

Queensway Government Offices

66 Queensway

Hong Kong

Dear Ms. LEUNG

A matter of very serious concern has come to my attention and this is why I write to you now.

I have heard that the Hong Kong government is introducing a controversial "Article 23" legislation which, as currently proposed, could damage Hong Kong's autonomy, liberties and press freedom.

It seems that the proposed legislation was written under direct pressure from China and is far more restrictive and severe than required by the Basic Law. It appears that if it is enacted, Hong Kong would have to ban any organisation determined by China as a national security risk. This is against HK's autonomy and the "one country, two systems" principle. It seems that the proposed law would also put serious restrictions on HK's media with regard to publishing information relating to Beijing.

I strongly urge you to ensure that the legislation will preserve Hong Kong's civil liberties, in particular its autonomy in determining the legal status of organisations in Hong Kong, and the press freedom. I also urge you to comply with calls for a white paper for further consultation.

Yours sincerely,

Henri-Fran ois Gautrin

Member of National Assembly of Quebec