Legco passes second reading of Article 23 bill
The Legislative Council on Tuesday passed the second reading of the homegrown national security legislation under Article 23 of the Basic Law.  A total of 88 lawmakers spoke at a special session that lasted more than six hours, with most of them limiting their speeches to five minutes. All of them expressed support for the legislation.  Secretary for Security Chris Tang thanked lawmakers for their hard work in scrutinising the bill.  He said the bill, once enacted, would be an effective response to national security situations that Hong Kong may face in the future.  He added that Article 23 laws, together with Hong Kong's National Security Law, would form a complete legal system for safeguarding national security.  “Since our reunification more than 26 years ago, there is finally a comprehensive review and improvement to our system to protect national security," Tang said. "The SAR government fully appreciates the wish of the public to safeguard national security. At the same time, they are concerned if the legislation may affect their rights and freedoms. The bill has catered fully to the concerns of the public." Lawmakers then began considering 91 amendments to the bill proposed by the government.