The Hong Kong government has used its power under the national security law for the first time to ban two organisations deemed subversive.
Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung on Tuesday prohibited the operation of Canada-based “Hong Kong Parliament” and Taiwan-based “Hong Kong Democratic Independence Union” in the city.
The ban was made with the power granted to Tang under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, the domestic national security law enacted in 2024 as required by Article 23 of the Basic Law, the city’s mini-Constitution, which complements a similar one imposed by Beijing in 2020.
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“Having carefully considered all relevant information … the Secretary for Security reasonably believes that the prohibition of the operation or continued operation of the ‘Hong Kong Parliament’ and the ‘Hong Kong Democratic Independence Union’ in Hong Kong is necessary for safeguarding national security,” a spokesman for the Security Bureau said.
“The two groups have become ‘prohibited organisations’ immediately.”
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Section 60(1) of the security law grants the Secretary for Security the power to prohibit the operation of a specified organisation in Hong Kong if he believes it is necessary for national security.