Stiff measures to curb civil liberties have been ruled out by the Government in an anti-terrorism bill to be tabled to the Legislative Council next month.
A senior security official said the Government hoped the bill would be passed into law before the current legislative year ends in July. The drafting of the bill had progressed well, the official said. Legislators and the public would be briefed about its contents early next month.
Another official said: 'There is no deadline for the legislation. The United Nations only required a progress report on the matter and we have done so. But we hope the process will be completed within the legislative year.'
The UN Security Council passed a resolution on September 28 calling for states to introduce wide-ranging measures to tackle international terrorism. The National People's Congress Standing Committee passed an amendment in late December that made acts of terrorism a capital offence, which took effect immediately.
Beijing had earlier described the Falun Gong as 'an evil cult with a terrorist nature.'
A Western diplomat said rights activists and some lawmakers were concerned about whether the SAR law would be adopted to crack down on Falun Gong.
