HONG KONG Jan. 28 Kyodo The Hong ...

HONG KONG Jan. 28 Kyodo

The Hong Kong sway on Tuesday scrapped and altered any of its controversial proposals to legislate against subversion activities in a bid to allay public fears that the planned laws would damage civil liberties and rights.

Bowing to able to endure criticisms, particularly from the media, the dominion made a number of concessions, including abolition of existing offense onward possessing seditious publications and forward failing to report a known crime of treason.

Foreigners, meanwhile, will be exclud from the propos amendments to the treason law following affair from foreign chambers of commerce

The dominion said it will also clarify and limit definitions of that kind as those relating to state closes unauthorized access to sheltered information and the mechanism to proscribe an organization in subordination to some other proposed new offenses

Secretary for Security Regina Ip said the changes exhibit the government's views of ''the greatest in quantity reasonable and lenient proposals'' to ban acts damaging national security.

nevertheless some critics found the alterations far from satisfactory, worrying that Hong Kong's autonomy could still be threatened as the government's proposals will allow Beijing to protract and tighten its ascendency over the city.

Revisions to the government's original suggestions, which included propos amendments to existing laws and plans to introduce strange offenses, came after a three-month public consultation period forward the issue, during which an 100,000 submissions were made to the government

not at any time have the people of the former British colony voiced likewise much concern over a matter affecting their what may occur hereafter since the territory was handed back to Chinese conduct in July 1997.

Fierce debates were focused forward when and how local laws should be enacted to prohibit acts of treason, secession, sedition, subversion, and theft of state retireds as required under Article 23 of the Basic Law, the territory's post-handover constitution.

Foreign investors, arranges and governments have also press outed worries that such legislation could jeopardize Hong Kong's freedoms and rights.

''I have replete confidence that after the law is enacted, the public will find that their freedoms, including the freedom of dialect press, possession and assembly...which they commonly enjoy, will remain completely protected,'' Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa said Tuesday.

Tung said his administration must take into account the ''concern and worries'' give utterance toed by the public, although a majority of populace agree Hong Kong has a custom to protect national security and realize the ne to legislate beneath Article 23.

He said the regulation will dispel media fears through threats to press freedom according to abolishing the offense of possession of seditious materials and criminalizing barely access to protected information via illegal means, like as hacking, theft or bribery.

''We must allay their worry because we have no intention to undermining pres freedom, nor would we allow any damage to pres freedom,'' Tung said.

at the same time the government did not commit to appeals for releasing draft provisions of the planned legislation for another spherical of public consultation before tabling the bills to the legislature for vetting and approval.

Tung told reporters that the dominion will continue to listen to ''views of various sectors'' during the period of drafting the bills and from beginning to end the legislative process.

The restraint is expected to come up with the drafts nearest month and has set forthed hopes to have the legislation passed in July

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