HONG KONG, June 8 (AFP) - Proposed security laws pose the greatest threat to freedom of speech and press in Hong Kong since the former British colony's 1997 return to China, the Hong Kong Journalist Association (HKJA) said Sunday.

The HKJA in its annual report called on the government to abolish planned sedition and theft of state secrets offences, which it said presented the greatest risk to freedom of expression.

"The political nature of such offences will mean that legislation, even if there are checks and balances, must sit uncomfortably with the protection of certain rights, especially freedom of expression," the HKJA said.

Under Article 23 of the Basic Law, the territory's mini-constitution, Hong Kong is obliged to pass anti-subversion legislation seen by many as a heavy-handed attempt by Beijing to stamp its authority on Hong Kong.

The territory's government, which had watered down an initial version of the bill after a three-month consultation, submitted the law to legislators in February and is hoping to have it on the statute books by July.

However, HKJA chairwoman Mak Yin-ting slammed the new version and tweaks made over the past two weeks as being purely "cosmetic in nature".

"The changes fail to tackle the fundamental threats to freedom of expression," she said. "They merely tinker with the legislation and thus the amendments will make little difference to how the law is implemented or the chilling effect it will have on the media."

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Despite the reassurance, US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage told a group of Hong Kong legislators in America last week that Washington remained worried about the proposed new laws and would continue to voice concerns.

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However, rights activists and pro-democracy groups fear China would use the new security laws to suppress freedoms, including those of the media, speech and religion.

http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/aj/Qhongkong-subversion.RJfu_Du8.html