China-ruled Macau approves national security law allowing closed-door trials

By Jessie Pang

HONG KONG, ‌March 19 (Reuters) - ​Lawmakers ​in Macau, a city under Chinese rule, unanimously approved a bill on Thursday that allows court ‌proceedings to be held behind closed doors when ⁠deemed necessary to protect national security interests.

The city enacted its first ‌national security law in 2009 ‌and tightened it with amendments in 2023. Last July, leading democrat Au Kam San was arrested for alleged ​collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security, the first known arrest under that law.

The new legislation stipulates ⁠that judges must refer cases to the city's Committee for Safeguarding National Security ​if they believe national security may be at risk during a public hearing.

The committee has the ​ultimate authority to decide whether the ‌matter pertains to national security and order that hearings be held behind closed doors. Its ⁠decisions are final, not subject to appeal or judicial review.

The law will take effect a day after its publication in Macau’s ⁠official gazette.

The Macau government said the approval had demonstrated the successful ​implementation of the principle of "patriots governing Macau".

Unlike in Hong Kong, which saw big social movements challenge Chinese Communist Party rule in 2014 ‌and 2019, the democratic opposition in the former Portuguese colony has always existed on the ‌fringes amid tight Chinese control.

After Au's arrest last year, rights ⁠groups have called for ‌his unconditional release and ​urged authorities not to suppress peaceful criticism.

(Reporting by Jessie Pang and Beijing newsroom; Editing by Andrei ‌Khalip)

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