Hong Kong's No. 2 official says security law allows freedoms

A top Hong Kong official has marked the anniversary of the territory’s return to Chinese control by defending the national security law imposed a year ago

HONG KONG -- Marking the anniversary of Hong Kong's return to Chinese control, a top city official defended the national security law imposed by Beijing and said Thursday it would be used further in the coming year to ensure stability. Hong Kong Chief Secretary John Lee said the law stipulates that human rights be respected and allows residents to enjoy freedom of the press and free assembly. The security law was implemented one year ago as authorities cracked down on dissent in Hong Kong after the territory was rocked by mass anti-government protests in 2019. Since then, large-scale demonstrations have been banned and a number of pro-democracy activists and journalists have been arrested, have ceased public activities or have left Hong Kong. For two years in a row, authorities banned an annual June 4 candlelight vigil commemorating the bloody 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, and a yearly July 1 pro-democracy protest, citing pandemic social distancing restrictions.