Geneva, The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has expressed deep concern over the hastened passage of a new national security bill in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, highlighting the potential negative impacts on human rights. The criticism comes amid warnings from the UN and human rights experts about the bill’s compatibility with international human rights standards.

According to Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Safeguarding National Security Bill, which builds upon the 2020 Law on Safeguarding National Security, introduces five new categories of crimes with broad and vague definitions. These include treason, insurrection, offenses related to state secrets and espionage, sabotage endangering national security, and external interference. Türk warned that the ambiguous nature of these provisions could lead to the criminalization of a wide array of activities protected under international law, such as freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly.

The High Commissioner emphasized the danger of such legislation being applied arbitrarily, potentially targeting dissenters, journalists, researchers, civil society actors, and human rights defenders, leading to increased self-censorship and a stifling of public debate on matters of interest. Furthermore, the bill’s provisions on “external interference” raise additional concerns over the engagement with human rights organizations and UN human rights bodies due to the expansive definition of what constitutes an “external force.”

Türk’s statement underscores the UN’s disappointment with the expedited legislative process, which lacked comprehensive deliberation and meaningful consultation, marking a regressive step for the protection of human rights in Hong Kong.