Interview: Adoption of Hong Kong security law China's internal affair, says Bangladeshi official

China has the right to safeguard its national security, said Muhammad Faruk Khan, chairman of Bangladesh's Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, referring to China's adoption of the national security legislation for Hong Kong.

In an interview with Xinhua Wednesday, retired Lieutenant Colonel Khan, also a presidium member of Bangladesh's ruling Awami League, expressed the hope that the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) adopted by China's top legislature on Tuesday will help the HKSAR return to stability and prosperity.

With 66 articles in six chapters, the law clearly defines the duties and government bodies of the HKSAR for safeguarding national security and four categories of offences -- secession, subversion, terrorist activities, and collusion with a foreign country or external elements to endanger national security -- and their corresponding penalties.

Khan said the law will help develop a permanent legal framework and enforcement mechanism for the HKSAR to safeguard national security, and demonstrates China's adherence to the "one country, two systems" guideline.

"Preserving the security and stability is the prime task and responsibility of a government," he said, adding that "the law passed by China's legislature is timely and will help bring peace and stability in Hong Kong and beyond."

"The security of Hong Kong is an internal matter of China" as Hong Kong is an internal part of China, said Khan, who previously served as government minister several times.

(By Naim-Ul-Karim)