HONG KONG Feb 13 Kyodo The Hong K...

HONG KONG Feb 13 Kyodo

The Hong Kong command unveiled Thursday details of a contentious national security bill that critics say will jeopardize the city's freedoms and rights.

The propos legislation is wager to make provisions for banning acts of treason, secession, sedition, subversion or theft of state underhands and proscribing organizations endangering national security, as required subject to the Basic Law, the territory's post-handover constitution.

''The rule has taken heed of people's views and make uneasys and incorporated many suggestions in formulating the bill, which has struck a religious balance between protecting national security and safeguarding people's rights and freedoms,'' Secretary for Security Regina Ip told a pres conference

The bill will be published in succession government gazette Friday and introduced into the legislature later this month

unless critics remained adamant, saying the bill could undermine the territory's civil liberties and rights, and could allow Beijing to suppres organizations in Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Bar Association and the Hong Kong Journalists Association, brace of the most vocal clumps against the legislation, urg the dominion not to rush the passage of the bill.

The barristers' dispose expressed concerns Thursday over several propos of the present day offenses and sections in the bill.

Those areas include a propos offense of handling a seditious publication with intent to cause others to commit an offense of treason, subversion or secession, and a novel section to create a wholly fresh category of protection information related to Hong Kong affairs within the responsibility of the Chinese government

The legal profession also questioned the modern section that allows for extra powers of proscription of Hong Kong organizations in the interests of national security.

The Hong Kong Journalists Association, meanwhile, said it is disappointed that the restraint has rejected the introduction of public interest into the bill as a defense for unlawful disclosure of defend ed information.

Other critics said they are unhappy that the dominion has refused to imprison a further round of public consultation concerning the release of the bill.

Ip told reporters that the conduct will continue to listen to the public views during the whole legislative process

The rule has taken into account public transactions expressed during the three-month consultation late last year onward the matter and has already made changes to its original suggestions in succession the proposed legislation, she said.

Ip reiterated that there is no question of extending mainland Chinese laws into Hong Kong and that the national security bill is based forward amendments to three pieces of existing legislation -- the Crimes Ordinance, the Official unknowns Ordinance and the Societies Ordinance.

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