4 July 2003

Dear Fellow Engineer                                                                     Urgent

The National Security (Legislative Provisions) Bill – Update as at 4 July 2003

Following my extensive consultation with the engineering electorate on the above issue, a clear majority view of engineers has already emerged, i.e. opposing to rushing through the national security legislation through the Legislative Council next week.

Although many engineers expressed no objection for Hong Kong to pass legislation to implement Article 23 of the Basic Law, the majority of their views I have so far collected opposed to the National Security (Legislative Provisions) Bill in its present form, particularly the proposed provisions on the following aspects

•  proscription of organisations;
•  the emergency powers of police seizure, search and entry; and
•  the absence of any defence of public interest in respect of the unauthorized disclosure of protected information. 

In addition, there is also a clear indication from the majority view that the Bill should be voted down even if the government agrees to make the last-minute amendments. The government must allow a more extensive and thorough consultation. 


(signed)
Ir Dr Raymond Ho Chung-tai