In a victory for democracy, the Hong Kong government has decided to postpone debate on antisubversion legislation that triggered the largest public protests in over a decade, alarmed human rights advocates worldwide and cracked the governing coalition in the special administrative region (SAR). The controversy over Article 23, as the bill is known, has underscored the crisis of confidence in the Hong Kong government and Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa in particular. Delay is the right move. The legislation is dangerously vague. More important, the Hong Kong government must win back the support of the people. Additional consultations will help secure both objectives.

The government in Beijing feared that the SAR would become a base for subversive activities against China after the territory was handed back to China in 1997. Article 23 was introduced earlier this year to prevent that from happening. The bill allows life imprisonment of those convicted of subversion, treason, and sedition against or advocating secession from China. It also gives the police widespread search and arrest powers and allows for closed-door trials.

The bill was unveiled after a brief period of public consultation in February. Too brief, claimed critics, who argued that its language was too vague, would curb freedom of the press in the SAR and allow the government to imprison political opponents.