A leading human rights watchdog and a legislator will petition the United Nations over possible breaches of civil liberties resulting from the recently passed anti-terrorism law.
The Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor and Cyd Ho Sau-lan, of The Frontier, will next week send submissions to the UN High Commission for Human Rights in Geneva, ahead of a visit to the mainland by the body's chief.
Mary Robinson, who steps down next month after a five-year term, will visit the mainland on August 18 before touring Cambodia and East Timor.
The petitions follow the passing of the anti-terrorism law last month, aimed at localising a UN resolution after the September 11 attacks. The chief executive was given the power to list terrorists and have their property seized.
Human rights watchers and lawmakers have warned that the measures would curb civil liberties. They said clauses such as the mandatory reporting of terrorist properties, and making reports of hoax bomb threats and recruitment of terrorists criminal offences would hurt the innocent and were beyond the UN remit.
The government earlier admitted that the legislation, which was pushed through Legco, had flaws and would be amended after October.
