Gov’t hints at national security law amendment

The Office of the Secretary for Security has declared that the Macau’s national security law needs amendment to bring it in line with the latest developments around the world, as expressed in a statement released yesterday.

“In the current law of protection of the state security, there is a dearth of rules in terms of jurisdiction for investigation, means of gathering evidence and requirements of prosecution procedures, [and it] only applies the general criminal procedural regime. Thus, resulting in an incomplete formulation of the exclusive enforcement mechanism for the defense of the state security,” the statement reads. “Inevitably, it gives people a one-sided [feeling] that the law is prepared but will not be used, [and] that [the law] only maintains dissuasive effects.”

Macau’s national security law came into effect nine years ago. The statement reads that “the world has developed rapidly and the state security of the motherland has expanded from traditional areas, such as political and military matters, into non-traditional areas, such as the economic, cultural, social sciences, technology, information and ecology sectors, thus forming an integrated state security.”

“Therefore, the national security law indeed needs to keep pace with the rapid development of the society, and the corresponding amendments [should] be made” the statement concludes.

In particular, the articles of the law which require urgent amendment, according to the statement, include those governing the procedures for collecting evidence within criminal investigations, and the special rules for coercive measures in evidence collection.