Article 23 - HK's biggest crisis since the 1997 handover

The Article 23 legislation has provoked Hong Kong's biggest political crisis since the 1997 handover. It has also stirred up more public anger and protest than any issue in the territory since the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing.

'There is no doubt that the anti-subversion law is the most sensitive issue the SAR has had to deal with since the change of sovereignty,' observed Frontier leader Emily Lau Wai-hing.

The former leader of the Democratic Party, Martin Lee Chu-ming, noted that opposition to the proposed legislation came from many different groups.

'This is the first time since the handover when there has been so much worry expressed over our freedoms both at home and abroad,' Mr Lee said.

'In Hong Kong, those who have spoken out in public include politicians, church leaders, the Bar, the Law Society, academics, librarians, teachers, journalists, trade unionists, bankers, foreign chambers of commerce, university students - as well as many ordinary citizens.''

This opposition culminated in a massive protest in Hong Kong on July 1 - with 500,000 people participating. Hong Kong people had been following the issue closely. Nearly two-thirds of people had opposed the Government's July 9 deadline for the passage of the national security bill into law, a University of Hong Kong study had found on June 28.

The July protest shocked Hong Kong's Government - even Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa admitted the demonstration had left him sleepless that evening.