Hong Kong (CBA) International religious experts believe that the announced Hong Kong National Security Law jeopardises religious freedom. In particular, the law threatens the confidentiality of confession, according to a statement by 16 experts and organisations on the website of the organisation Hong Kong Watch.
“The new law could force a priest to disclose what is said in confession against his will and conscience and in complete violation of privacy,” it continues. This is a clear violation of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The signatories urge the international community, Pope Francis and the Vatican, the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury and all other religious leaders worldwide to stand up for religious freedom in Hong Kong.
The bill presented to Hong Kong’s parliament this month includes up to 14 years in prison for anyone who knows that another person has committed treason and fails to report it to the authorities within a reasonable time. It is considered certain that the law will be passed by the Hong Kong parliament, which since the 2021 elections has only consisted of pro-China members known as “patriots”. The law is to apply in conjunction with the Security Law passed by China in 2020 following the suppression of the democracy movement.