is not designed for dealing with emergencies. Of the
considerable amount of emergency legislation which it has in Hong Kong
Λ
been necessary to introduce since May, the only emergency
regulations which have been incorporated in the Ordinance and
are those dealing with the offences of intimidation
intimidating assembly.
Intimidation has been a powerful
weapon in the hand of the local communists in the over-
of the Colony
crowded conditio
condition The provisions to deal with it were
included after the most careful consideration and
continue to
sexists in
because, so long as communist organisations
Hong Kong there will always be a danger of intimidation.
The only other emergency legislation incorporated in the
Ordinance are the provisions dealing with the Governor's
powers to detain and control the movement of vessels
and aircraft. These provisions were taken from the
Emergency (Frincipal) Regulations, 1964.
in
Your letter states that the Ordinance was passed
twelve through the Legislative Council only days after it was
published. In fact the Bill was first published on the
6th October and completed its progress through the
Legislative Council on the 15th November. This allowed
six
nearly weeks between/publication and enactment, a
period which is considered to have allowed adeguate time
introductory
for any representations to be made. The speech of the
Attorney General, which explained the main provisions
of the Bill in some detail, has been publicised in Chinese;
and a series of articles in Chinese explaining the measures
also
in simple language is being published. These articles
will include Chinese translations of the more important
sections of the Ordinance.
n
There are two points of detail which have been
raised in the appraisal enclosed with your letter and on
/which
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN