The Macau national security law (Chinese: 維護國家安全法, lit.'Safeguarding National Security Law'; Portuguese: Lei relativa à defesa da segurança do Estado, lit.'Law related to the defense of the security of the State') is a law in Macau which prohibits and punishes acts of "treason, secession, and subversion" against the Central government, as well as "preparatory acts" leading to any of the three acts. Taken into effect on 3 March 2009, the purpose of the law is to fulfil Article 23 of the Macau Basic Law, the de factoconstitution of the Macau Special Administration Region.[1][2][3]
Macau National Security Law has been in force for eleven years. Pro-Beijing[4]state-owned Hong Kong Newspaper Wen Wei Po claimed that Macau's National Security Law "has not been used".[5][better source needed]