Secretary for Administration and Justice Florinda Chan today (1 Oct)stressed that the SAR Government was obligated to prohibit any act against state security and at the same time ensure the lawful rights of the residents.

Florinda Chan said that the Government was about to start drafting the law to implement the Article 23 of the Basic Law, which prohibiting all kinds of act against the state. The Draft was expected to be completed and be submitted to the Legislative Assembly early next year, she said.

She said that this was one of the bill planed to be draft in the mid-term schedule, as announced earlier this year, adding that preparatory work had started since the establishment of the SAR.

Florinda Chan said that the draft was expected to clarify the definition of the acts listed on Article 23 of the Basic Law, adding that it was an obligation of the SAR Government to enact laws on its own to prohibit any act against the state.

At the same time, She reiterated that, the SAR Government would continue to ensure the resident's freedom and rights stipulated by the Basic Law, such as press freedom and the freedom of speech, adding that Article 40 of the Basic law had ensured the effectiveness of the International Covenant on Civil And Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Macao.

According to Article 23 of the Basic law, the SAR shall enact laws, on its own, to prohibit act of treason, secession, sedition, subversion against the Central People's Government, or theft of state secret, to prohibit foreign political organization or bodies from conducting political activities in the Region, and to prohibit political organizations or bodies of the Region from establishing ties with foreign political organizations or bodies.