Hong Kong's Secretary for Security Ambrose Lee said Monday the final version of the proposed security bill will take various views of the community into account, as another round of Basic Law Article 23 consultation will be launched next month.

Lee also said he has started scheduling meetings with political parties.

The content and format of the consultation paper has not yet been decided, Lee said, adding that he will not limit it to any particular sector of the community nor any particular method.

According to Lee, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government will listen to different voices very carefully and the final version will garner community approval.

The SAR government will try to reach as many people as possible in the new exercise and make the consultation document easier to understand, and the government has not set a timetable for implementing Article 23, he added.

Under Article 23 of the Basic Law, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall enact laws on its own to prohibit any act of treason, secession, sedition, subversion against the Central Government, or theft of state secrets, prohibit foreign political organizations or bodies from conducting political activities in the region, and prohibit political organizations or bodies of the region from establishing ties with foreign political organizations or bodies.

(Xinhua News Agency August 19, 2003)