COVERT SURVEILLANCE BILL TO PASS DESPITE

C O N F I D E N T I A L HONG KONG 003109 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS NSC FOR DENNIS WILDE DEPT FOR EAP/CM E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/01/2031 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL HK CH PINR MC SUBJECT: COVERT SURVEILLANCE BILL TO PASS DESPITE PAN-DMOCRATIC OPPOSITION REF: A. HONG KONG 2850 ¶B. HONG KONG 0465 CLASSIFIED BY: ACTING E/P CIEF JEFF ZAISER. REASONS: 1.4(B,D). ¶1. (SBU) SUMARY: PAN-DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATORS ANNOUNCED ON JLY 28 THAT THEY WOULD VOTE EN BLOC AGAINST THE COVERT SURVEILLANCE BILL WHEN IT COMES UP FOR A VOTE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AS EARLY AS AUGUST 2. DESPITE THIS, PASSAGE OF THE LEGISLATION IS ALL BUT ASSURED GIVEN THE SUPPORT OF THE PRO-GOVERNMENT PARTIES. WHILE SOME NGOS AND MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERN IN RECENT DAYS ABOUT THE BILLS IMPACT ON INDIVIDUAL FREEDOMS, THE PUBLIC HAS LARGELY IGNORED THE DEBATE. HONG KONG HUMAN RIGHTS MONITOR DIRECTOR LAW YUK-KAI, WHO WAS INVOLVED IN SOME OF THE NEGOTIATIONS, TOLD US ON JULY 31 THAT THERE WAS VIRTUALLY NO CHANCE THE BILL WOULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY AMENDED AT THIS LATE STAGE. LAW SAID THAT MUCH NOW DEPENDS ON HOW THE BILL IS IMPLEMENTED SINCE SOME OF THE LANGUAGE REMAINS VAGUE. WITH PASSAGE ALL BUT ASSURED, LAW PREDICTED THAT THE BATTLE TO PROTECT INDIVIDUAL FREEDOMS FROM GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE WILL NOW MOVE TO THE COURTS AS INDIVIDUAL CASES ARISE. END SUMMARY. SUN SETTING ON COVERT SURVEILLANCE DEBATE -------------- ¶2. (C) THE 24 PAN-DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (LEGCO) ANNOUNCED ON JULY 28 THAT THEY WOULD VOTE AGAINST THE COVERT SURVEILLANCE BILL EN BLOC WHEN IT COMES UP FOR A VOTE DURING A SPECIAL LEGCO SESSION BEGINNING AUGUST 2. THEY SAID THEIR DECISION WAS MADE IN PROTEST AGAINST THE GOVERNMENTS REFUSAL TO ADD A "SUNSET CLAUSE" TO THE BILL. AFTER FAILING TO GET THE GOVERNMENT TO AGREE TO ALL BUT A FEW OF THEIR 200 AMENDMENTS, THE DEMOCRATS HAD HOPED TO INSERT THE SUNSET PROVISION AS A MEANS OF FORCING A REVIEW OF THE LEGISLATION IN TWO YEARS TIME. THEY ARGUED THAT A MANDATORY REVIEW WAS THE BEST WAY TO ENSURE THAT IMPERFECTIONS IN THE LEGISLATION WOULD BE CORRECTED, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE COMPLEXITY OF THE ISSUES INVOLVED AND THE COMPRESSED TIMEFRAME IN WHICH THE BILL WAS PUSHED THROUGH LEGCO. HOWEVER, SECRETARY FOR SECURITY AMBROSE LEE ARGUED THAT A SUNSET CLAUSE WOULD CREATE TOO MUCH LEGAL UNCERTAINTY FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. ¶3. (SBU) DESPITE UNITED OPPOSITION FROM THE PAN-DEMOCRATS, PASSAGE OF THE LEGISLATION IS ALL BUT ASSURED. THE TWO MAJOR PRO-GOVERNMENT PARTIES, THE LIBERAL PARTY AND THE DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE FOR THE BETTERMENT AND PROGRESS OF HONG KONG (DAB), HAVE ALREADY ANNOUNCED THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE LEGISLATION, AND IT SEEMS VERY UNLIKELY THAT ANY OF THEIR MEMBERS WILL BREAK RANKS. UNLIKE CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES, WHICH REQUIRE A TWO-THIRDS VOTE, THE ENACTMENT OF A LOCAL ORDINANCE REQUIRES ONLY A SIMPLE MAJORITY. WITH A 36 TO 24 SEAT ADVANTAGE IN LEGCO, THE PRO-GOVERNMENT PARTIES HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH VOTES TO PREVAIL. TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE -------------- ¶4. (C) WHILE THE COVERT SURVEILLANCE DEBATE HAS THUS FAR BEEN LARGELY CONFINED TO LEGCO AND VARIOUS LEGAL CIRCLES, SOME NGOS AND MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS ARE BEGINNING TO EXPRESS CONCERN OVER CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE LEGISLATION. ON JULY 30, INDEPENDENT DAILY "MING PAO" SAID THAT SEVERAL NGOS, INCLUDING THE HONG KONG JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION AND THE CIVIL HUMAN RIGHTS FRONT, HAD EXPRESSED THE FOLLOWING TEN "BIG WORRIES" (ALL OF WHICH HAD BEEN RAISED PREVIOUSLY BY THE PAN-DEMOCRATS) ABOUT THE LEGISLATION: -- THE TERM "PUBLIC SECURITY" IS NOT CLEARLY DEFINED. -- PRESS FREEDOM MAY BE INFRINGED IF THE MEDIA BECOMES A TARGET OF COVERT SURVEILLANCE. -- THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND OTHER PRINCIPAL OFFICIALS ARE NOT COVERED UNDER THE BILL. -- EXECUTIVE AUTHORIZATION OF LESS-INTRUSIVE SURVEILLANCE MAY LEAD TO COVER-UPS. -- THE BILL GIVES EXCESSIVE POWER TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, WHICH COULD LEAD TO ABUSE. -- THERE IS NO MECHANISM FOR VICTIMS TO OFFER A DEFENSE WHEN JUDGES AUTHORIZE SURVEILLANCE. -- THE BILL DOES NOT COVER COVERT SURVEILLANCE BY INFORMANTS OR UNDER-COVER AGENTS. -- THE BILL DOES NOT COVER FOREIGN OR MAINLAND LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. -- THERE ARE NO CRIMINAL SANCTIONS FOR NON-COMPLIANCE. -- THERE IS NO MECHANISM FOR NOTIFYING PEOPLE WHO ARE WRONGFULLY TARGETED. ¶5. (SBU) BECAUSE OF THESE CONCERNS, LOCAL NGOS ARE MAKING A LAST DITCH EFFORT TO PERSUADE PRO-GOVERNMENT LAWMAKERS TO OPPOSE THE BILL. LIKEWISE, THE ENGLISH-LANGUAGE "SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST" IN AN EDITORIAL ON AUGUST 1 URGED LAWMAKERS TO VOTE AGAINST THE BILL BECAUSE IT "FAILS TO STRIKE THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN THE NEED TO COMBAT CRIME AND THE RIGHT TO PRIVACY." THE PAPER WENT ON TO URGE THAT "IT IS NOT TOO LATE, HOWEVER, FOR THE TWO PRO-GOVERNMENT PARTIES TO CHANGE THEIR MINDS TO DEMONSTRATE TO THE PUBLIC THAT THEY TAKE THE PROTECTION OF PRIVACY SERIOUSLY." ¶6. (C) HOWEVER, HONG KONG HUMAN RIGHTS MONITOR DIRECTOR LAW YUK-KAI, WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN SOME OF THE NEGOTIATIONS, TOLD US ON JULY 31 THAT THERE IS VIRTUALLY NO CHANCE THE BILL WILL BE AMENDED SIGNIFICANTLY AT THIS LATE STAGE. THE MOST THAT IS POSSIBLE IS THE PASSAGE OF A FEW MINOR AMENDMENTS THAT WOULD CLARIFY SOME OF THE LANGUAGE, LAW SAID. AMBROSE LEE SEEMED TO AGREE WHEN HE CONFIDENTLY PREDICTED ON JULY 31 THAT THE BILL WOULD PASS BEFORE THE AUGUST 9 DEADLINE (SEE REF A). MUCH DEPENDS ON IMPLEMENTATION -------------- ¶7. (C) LAW SAID THAT BECAUSE SOME OF THE LANGUAGE IN THE BILL REMAINS VAGUE, MUCH DEPENDS ON HOW IT IS IMPLEMENTED. "AS ALWAYS, OUR RIGHTS ARE QUITE FRAGILE, AND IF THE AUTHORITIES ARE DETERMINED TO UNDERMINE THEM, THEY CAN DO SO, BUT WE NEED TO CREATE AS MANY HURDLES FOR THEM AS POSSIBLE." DESPITE THIS RATHER PESSIMISTIC STATEMENT, LAW SAID THE BILL WAS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, AND "BETTER THAN WHAT WE HAD IN THE PAST." AT LEAST NOW THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHED LIGHT ON A PROCESS WHICH HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN COMPLETELY HIDDEN FROM PUBLIC VIEW. UNDER THIS LEGISLATION, IT WILL BE MORE DIFFICULT FOR AUTHORITIES TO COVER-UP ILLEGAL SURVEILLANCE, IF FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN THERE WILL BE MORE PEOPLE INVOLVED ON THE PROCESS OF AUTHORIZING SUCH ACTIVITIES, LAW SAID. ¶8. (C) LAW BELIEVES THERE NEEDS TO BE A SUBSTANTIAL REVIEW OF THE LEGISLATION AT SOME POINT, NOT ONLY TO ENSURE THAT FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS ARE NOT BEING INFRINGED, BUT ALSO TO ENSURE THAT THE LEGISLATION IS IN LINE WITH INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS. HOWEVER, HE PREDICTED "THERE WON'T BE ANY MEANINGFUL REVIEW," NOW THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS REFUSED TO INCLUDE A SUNSET CLAUSE. THERE WON'T BE ANY PUBLIC SCRUTINY OF THE LAW AT ALL ONCE IT IS PASSED BECAUSE LEGCO WILL HAVE NO FURTHER ROLE TO PLAY, HE ADDED. ONLY THE FIRST OF MANY BATTLES TO COME -------------- ¶9. (C) WITH PASSAGE ALL BUT ASSURED, LAW PREDICTED THAT THE BATTLE TO PROTECT INDIVIDUAL FREEDOMS FROM GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE WILL NOW MOVE TO THE COURTS AS INDIVIDUAL CASES ARISE. SUCH CASES WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT TO BRING, HOWEVER, BECAUSE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WILL HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THEY HAVE BEEN WRONGLY SURVEILLED. THE PROPOSED COVERT SURVEILLANCE COMMISSIONER (SEE REF B) WILL BE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO INFORM SUCH VICTIMS THAT THE LAW HAS BEEN BREACHED. MOREOVER, THE BILL DOES NOT ALLOW VICTIMS ACCESS TO MATERIAL GATHERED THROUGH COVERT SURVEILLANCE. BUT PERHAPS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH THE BILL, ACCORDING TO LAW, IS THE LACK OF CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR NON-COMPLIANCE. THIS WILL SEVERELY UNDERMINE THE LAW BECAUSE IT MEANS "A VIOLATION DOESN,T MEAN ANYTHING." LAW ADDED "THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THE BILL IS UNDERMINED BECAUSE OF THIS." ¶10. (C) LAW ARGUED THAT IN ORDER FOR THE LAW TO BE EFFECTIVE, ADDITIONAL LEGISLATION IS NEEDED TO ADDRESS PRIVATE SURVEILLANCE (NOTE: THIS BILL PERTAINS ONLY TO THE ACTIVITIES OF HONG KONG LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. THE GOVERNMENT HAS SAID IT WOULD ADDRESS SURVEILLANCE BY PRIVATE ENTITIES AT A LATER TIME. END NOTE.) NEVERTHELESS, HE AGREED WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S POSITION THAT LEGISLATION COVERING PRIVATE SURVEILLANCE, WHICH HAS POTENTIALLY EVEN MORE FAR-REACHING IMPLICATIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL FREEDOMS, SHOULD BE HANDLED LATER. LAW ADDED "PRIVATE SURVEILLANCE IS MUCH MORE COMPLICATED." SAKAUE