堅守⾃由價值 反對港府23條立法 連署聲明

【堅守⾃由價值  反對港府23條立法  連署聲明】

在台社運組織與在台港⼈就港府強推《基本法》第23條立法提出嚴正聲明：

港版《國安法》甫滿三年，香港特區政府⼜強推《基本法》第23條國家安全立法。此法更甚前法，不但涵蓋叛國、竊取與披露國家秘密、叛亂等罪⾏，刑期最重可判處無期徒刑。其立法程序更為倉促，僅於今年1⽉30⽇啟動30天公眾意⾒徵詢期即進入立法階段。

該法將極⼤地削弱了港⼈的公平審訊權，同時擴張港警權⼒，允許警察在沒有充⾜證據的情況下延長拘留期限，並限制被拘留者權利，進⼀步侵蝕了香港的法律保障和基本⾃由。尤有甚者，此法規範的國安罪⾏具有域外效⼒⼂警⽅的執法權⼒被擴⼤⼂被告的正當司法程序權利卻受限制等，均令⼈關切。法例中的模糊定義，無疑將成為另⼀個「⼝袋罪」──只要北京或港府認為有必要，即可以此法來羅織罪名、構⼈入罪。在缺乏港⼈⺠意有效參與、監督，加上無獨立司法權的保障下，此項立法再度剝奪了港⼈珍貴的⾔論⾃由與法治精神，並與《中英聯合聲明》以及國際⼈權公約所承諾的⾃由權益背道⽽馳，進⼀步侵蝕香港的⼈權保障。 

回顧歷史，2003年港府也曾意圖強推《基本法》23條立法，結果引爆50萬多港⼈上街⽰威，港府被迫撤回。

2020年北京改變策略，繞過香港⺠意，透過中國⼈⼤常委會直接頒布實施港版國安法。該法⽣效三年多以來，共有252⼈就涉及國安法案件被捕；有155⼈被檢控，其中79⼈已被定罪或正等候判刑。其中包括政黨領袖、前立法會議員、學者、學⽣、社運⼈⼠、律師與媒體⼈，他們被指控違反國安法，罪名包括參與非法集會和串謀顛覆國家政權。審結案件超過100宗，定罪率百分之百。 

如今港府再度強推《基本法》23條立法，此次立法內容更為嚴苛、立法⼿段更為粗暴，對香港的⼈權和⾃由構成長期且嚴重的威脅，對於法治與⺠主的價值觀提出了前所未有的挑戰。但⾔論⾃由已遭剝奪的港⼈，如今已無⼒上街抗議或反抗。

我們在此沉痛呼籲，港府應立即撤回《基本法》23條立法。國際社會應立即站出來對這項立法表達反對，並要求港府立即釋放所有政治犯，並保障香港⾔論⾃由與法治環境。

2024年3月20日

如果您堅信自由的價值，並對抵抗《基本法》第23條立法感到強烈共鳴，我們誠邀您加入連署共同發聲。在此廣邀各社團組織、個人共同連署，請填寫下方資訊，謝謝！

發起人：

社團法人華人民主書院協會

連署網址：

https://forms.gle/4aoR2mLzZ6JoXXRs5

Upholding Freedom, Opposing the Hong Kong Government’s Legislation of Article 23

Civil society organizations in Taiwan and HongKongers residing in Taiwan issue this solemn statement in opposition to the Hong Kong government’s aggressive legislative advancement of Article 23 of the Basic Law:

Just three years after the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region forcefully push forward national security legislation under Article 23 of the Basic Law. This legislation is more draconian than its predecessor, encompassing offences such as treason, espionage, and sedition, with life imprisonment as the most severe penalty. The legislative process has been rushed, with a mere 30-day public consultation period starting January 30th this year before proceeding to the legislative stage.

This legislation will severely undermine the right of Hong Kong residents to a fair trial and will expand the powers of the Hong Kong police, allowing for extended detention periods without sufficient evidence and restricting the rights of detainees. This encroaches further upon the legal protections and fundamental freedoms of Hong Kong. Of particular concern are the extraterritorial effects of the national security offences, the expansion of police enforcement powers, and the limitation on defendants’ rights to due process. The law’s ambiguous definitions risk becoming another form of “catch-all” offence, enabling Beijing or the Hong Kong government to fabricate charges and convict individuals arbitrarily.

In the absence of effective participation and oversight by the Hong Kong public, coupled with a lack of protection by an independent judiciary, this legislation once more deprives Hong Kong residents of their valued freedom of speech and the spirit of the rule of law. It contradicts the freedoms and rights committed to in the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, further eroding human rights protections in Hong Kong.

Historically, in 2003, when the Hong Kong government attempted to push through Article 23 legislation, it led to protests by over half a million HongKongers which forced the government to withdraw the proposal.

In 2020, Beijing altered its approach, bypassing public opinion in Hong Kong and directly implementing the Hong Kong National Security Law through the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. Since this law took effect, more than 252 individuals have been arrested under national security offenses, with 155 charged and 79 convicted or awaiting sentencing. These include political leaders, former Legislative Council members, academics, students, social activists, lawyers, and journalists, accused of offences including participation in unauthorized assemblies and conspiracy to subvert state power. With over 100 cases concluded, the conviction rate stands at 100 percent.

The Hong Kong government is once again forcibly advancing the legislation of Article 23 of the Basic Law, this time with even more stringent provisions and heavy-handed measures, posing a long-term and grave threat to the human rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, and challenging the values of rule of law and democracy in an unprecedented manner. However, with the freedom of speech now stripped, the people of Hong Kong are left without the means to protest or resist.

We hereby urgently call on the Hong Kong government to immediately withdraw the legislation of Article 23 of the Basic Law. The international community must stand up, express its opposition to this legislation, and demand that the Hong Kong government release all political prisoners and safeguard the freedom of speech and rule of law in Hong Kong .   

March 20,2024

If you firmly believe in the value of freedom and strongly resonate with the resistance against the legislation of Article 23 under the Basic Law, we sincerely invite you to join us in signing this petition to collectively raise our voices. We hereby extend an invitation to various community organizations and individuals to sign together. Please fill in the information below. Thank you!

Petition Initiator:

New School for Democracy

Petition Link:

https://forms.gle/4aoR2mLzZ6JoXXRs5