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19 May 2003
The Editor
South China Morning Post
Dear Sir,
I refer to the report headlined "Official secrets
move a catch-all: Regina Ip" (May 18) which carried
remarks purportedly made by me at the Legislative Council
Bills Committee concerning proposed amendments to the
Official Secrets Ordinance. I wish to stress I spoke
in Cantonese throughout and did not make the remarks
attributed to me in the report. On a category of proposed
protected information involving affairs concerning
the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)
which are within the responsibility of the Central
Authorities according to the Basic Law, I did not say
restricting this to [defence] and foreign affairs would
be "a repetition of the existing laws".
What I said was that such restriction would mean a
duplication of existing laws, which already cover "defence" and "foreign
affairs" as categories of protected information.
Under the Basic Law, the Central Authorities' responsibilities
for the HKSAR are not limited to defence and foreign
affairs. However, an offence would be committed only
if the disclosure of information relating to matters
concerning the HKSAR for which the Central Authorities
are responsible would endanger national security. Under
our proposals, "national security" covers
only the safeguarding of territorial integrity and
the independence of the People's Republic of
China.
Yours faithfully,
( Mrs Regina Ip )
Secretary for Security |
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