The leader of the Baptist Convention of Hong Kong has voiced opposition to a looming national security law expected to be passed by the Chinese government very soon, saying it would only give those in authority more unchecked powers.

The new law would mean Beijing breaking its promise on upholding Hong Kong’s governing principle of “one country, two systems” and imposing “one country, one system”, the convention’s chairperson, the Reverend Lo Hing-choi, said on Monday.

Beijing’s failure to honour its word, coupled with its refusal to grant Hong Kong genuine universal suffrage, amounted to dealing Hongkongers a “double whammy”, Lo said.

The way by which the law would be enacted also departed from Hong Kong’s usual practice, Lo noted. “The legislation was announced directly by the central government, bypassing the [Hong Kong] Special Administrative Region’s legislature. There is no discussion or consultation, or efforts to address opposition voices,” he wrote in a message posted on the convention’s website.

Lo said the law should not be enacted because it would only give those in authority even more unchecked powers. “There will be no protection or benefits for Hongkongers,” he said.

The National People’s Congress Standing Committee is the midst of a three-day meeting that started on Sunday to discuss, among other issues, the national security law for Hong Kong. Pro-Beijing politicians expect the law will be passed during the meeting.

Lo cited the previous disappearances of five employees of Causeway Books as an example of what would happen if Beijing became directly involved, as would be the case if the new law mandated the formation of a special court — independent of Hong Kong’s established courts and with judges designated by the chief executive — to handle national security cases in the city.

“Hongkongers know the false imprisonments in mainland China very well. They have no confidence in mainland Chinese ‘laws’,” he said.

Lo also noted that a vice principal of Pui Ching Middle School, a branch under the Baptist convention, had become a target of the government’s Education Bureau for signing a joint petition that was published in newspapers and voiced opposition to the new law.

“The law has not been enacted yet but our freedom is already being restricted,” he said. “This law will deprive Hongkoners of the rights to free speech, and put them at risk.”

Click here for Chinese version.

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