Cyber Security Bill amendment to be reintroduced in House of Lords

On Tuesday 14 July, Hong Kong Watch Patron Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle spoke in the second reading of the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill in the House of Lords, raising the need for the ‘transnational repression amendment’ voted down in the House of Commons last month to be reintroduced in the House of Lords. The speech anticipates the reintroduction of the amendment at Committee stage by Hong Kong Watch Patron and Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, Lord Alton of Liverpool. 

The amendment would prevent the UK from sharing private information with overseas authorities in jurisdictions where the right to a fair trial cannot be guaranteed, including China and Hong Kong. It provides a crucial protection for at-risk individuals in the Hong Kong diaspora, as well as others targeted by the Beijing and Hong Kong authorities. 

The amendment now has another chance to be adopted into law. If the amendment is adopted by the Lords, the Bill will return to the House of Commons. Any differences between the Commons and Lords versions of the Bill will then be negotiated between the two Houses (referred to as the ‘ping pong’ stage), until a final text is agreed.

Hong Kong Watch, together with other organisations supporting the amendment, will continue to rally support for the transnational repression amendment in the House of Lords and any subsequent negotiations during the ping pong stage.

This campaign is a collaborative, cross-community effort undertaken by a number of partner organisations. We thank everyone who has supported the campaign so far. Please continue to follow our social media channels for updates on future efforts to support the amendment, oppose information sharing with authoritarian regimes, and protect Hong Kongers and other diaspora groups from transnational repression. 

上議院料將重推《網絡安全及韌性法案》修正案

7月14日（星期二），香港監察贊助人本內特女男爵（Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle）在英國上議院《網絡安全及韌性法案》（Cyber Security and Resilience Bill）二讀時發言，指出上議院有必要重新提出上月被下議院投票否決的「跨國鎮壓修正案」。香港監察贊助人、英國國會人權聯合委員會主席奧爾頓勳爵（Lord Alton of Liverpool）料將在委員會階段重推修正案。

這項修正案將阻止英國與公平審訊權未有保障司法管轄區的海外當局分享私人資料，當中包括中國和香港。修正案將為海外港人社群的高危人士及其他被北京和香港當局視為目標的人士提供重要保護。

這項修正案現再有機會通過成為法律。如果上議院通過修正案，法案將返回下議院。上下兩院將就修正案條文的差異來回磋商（稱為「乒乓」階段），直至兩院就條文達成共識。

香港監察與其他支持修正案的組織將繼續在上議院及隨後的「乒乓」磋商爭取對跨國鎮壓修正案的支持。

這項倡議是由多個合作組織共同發起的跨社區行動，我們感謝至今支持過倡議的朋友。請繼續關注我們的社交平台，了解我們未來就支持修正案、反對與威權政體分享資料，以及保護港人及其他離散群體免受跨國鎮壓的最新工作進展。

Photo: Adi Goldstein on Unsplash