A top Beijing official said Hong Kong must outlaw subversion and other crimes against the state to truly be part of China, drawing fire from activists who charged Friday the central government wants to chip away at free speech here.
State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan, a former foreign minister who now leads Beijing's policy on Hong Kong, called the anti-subversion law a crucial step following Hong Kong's handover from Britain to China six years ago.
The law is expected to be enacted in coming weeks and will carry life prison sentences for many offenses, such as treason or inciting people to attack the government.
"How can we not do it?" Tang told reporters in Mongolia, in remarks that were widely publicized in Hong Kong. "Otherwise, what's the meaning of Hong Kong's return?"
Lawmaker Szeto Wah accused Tang of trying to intimidate Hong Kong's political opposition and pro-democracy campaigners who stage regular protests here.
"What Tang Jiaxuan said was threatening and reflected his usual bad attitude," said Szeto, from the opposition Democratic Party. "If we don't dare to voice our criticism now, no one will dare to do so after the law gets enacted."
Since Hong Kong was handed back to China on July 1, 1997, it has been required by its constitution to pass an anti-subversion law. The Hong Kong government calls it necessary to protect national security and began work on the controversial measure last year.
The founding chairman of the Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor, attorney Paul Harris, predicted officials will use the law to crack down on the Falun Gong meditation sect in Hong Kong.
Falun Gong is outlawed as an "evil cult" in the mainland but remains legal here, and carries out frequent demonstrations that officials find troublesome.
The anti-subversion law is "entirely likely to be abused once it's enacted," Harris said.
Hong Kong Secretary for Security Regina Ip has said the anti-subversion law is intended to stop people from violently overthrowing the government and will not infringe on Hong Kong's constitutionally protected freedoms of speech, press and assembly.
Tang and Chinese President Hu Jintao weighed in Thursday during a trip to Mongolia, where reporters asked about the legislation. Hu said the law "would have beneficial effects on both national security and stability in Hong Kong."
The mainland leaders spoke one day after tens of thousands of Hong Kong people gathered for an annual candlelight vigil to commemorate the bloody crackdown on the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy demonstrations on June 4, 1989.
Harris said Beijing may be trying to discourage such rallies.
"It must be something the mainland leaders hate to see enormous numbers of people demonstrating for democracy and asking for the verdict on the Tiananmen Square massacre to be overturned," Harris said.
China viewed the student pro-democracy demonstrations in 1989 as an attempt to overthrow the government. Hundreds if not thousands of people were killed in a military crackdown.