New York, June 30 -- Responding to today's passing of a national security law for Hong Kong by the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, the head of Amnesty International's China Team, Joshua Rosenzweig, said:
"The passing of the national security law is a painful moment for the people of Hong Kong and represents the greatest threat to human rights in the city's recent history. From now on, China will have the power to impose its own laws on any criminal suspect it chooses.
"The speed and secrecy with which China has pushed through this legislation intensifies the fear that Beijing has calculatingly created a weapon of repression to be used against government critics, including people who are merely expressing their vi...