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According to a paper submitted by the Security Bureau and Department of Justice to the legislature on Monday, the proposed subsidiary legislation for the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance will mandate that any government department or any civil servant must provide the Beijing office with “all necessary and reasonable assistance, facilitation, support, backing and protection in accordance with the law and in a timely manner”.
The administration also proposes prohibiting anyone who knows or suspects that Beijing’s national security office in Hong Kong is handling a case “from disclosing to any other person any information relating to that investigation without reasonable excuse or lawful authority”.
Under the plan, the city leader will also declare premises where the office performs its mandate as “prohibited places” to minimise national security risks.
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Any contravention of the subsidiary legislation may be subject to a fine not exceeding HK$500,000 (US$64,102) and imprisonment not exceeding seven years.