The methodology used to gauge views is called into question

The way in which officials analysed public views on the security law proposals has been questioned after the views of some respondents remained unclear.

But Secretary for Security Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee stressed that such views were still considered carefully.

However, she said some submissions carried different signatures in the same handwriting, but she did not disclose how many or to which camp they belonged.

The government said the 97,097 submissions received over the past three months had been compiled into 18 volumes each as thick as a telephone directory.

A total of 68,115 were classified as supporting the proposals, almost three times the number who were opposed. A total of 4,150 were considered as being not explicit in stance, including those of the Bar Association and the local branch of the Falun Gong. Mrs Ip said the classification did not mean that these views had been swept under the carpet.

'We tried to be as objective as possible. Indeed, those who said they support legislation but thought our proposals were bad were also put into the opposition category.

'Some signatures were of the same handwriting. Some only carried the names without the signatures,' she said.