Carrie Lam at a flag-raising ceremony in Hong Kong on Wednesday. [Source: BBC]

Hong Kong is marking 23 years since British rule ended as a new “anti-protest” law, imposed by Beijing, comes into effect.

The national security law targets secession, subversion and terrorism with punishments up to life in prison.

Hong Kong was handed back to China from Britain in 1997, but under an agreement supposed to protect certain freedoms for at least 50 years.

But critics say the law is the “end of Hong Kong”, and stops those freedoms.

“[China] promised 50 years of freedom to the Hong Kong people, and gave them only 23,” US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.