HOFO 030/04
DD 04090OZ F C O
GRS 300
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 04090OZ
FM HONG KONG 040720Z JUNE 85
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1063 OF 4 JUNE
FOR GOVERNOR.
0816
MIPT: LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (POWERS AND PRIVILEGES) BILL 1985.
FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF UMELCO PRESS RELEASE DATED 3 JUNE 1985:
BEGINS:
THE HONG KONG JOURNALSIST ASSOCIATION HAS VOICED CONCERN OVER CERTAIN SECTION OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (POWERS AND PRIVILEGES) BILL RELATING TO THE MEDIA.
IT HAS ALSO URGED THAT DEBATE ON THE BILL BE FURTHER DEFERRED SO THAT MORE THOUGHT COULD BE GIVEN TO ITS IMPLICATIONS.
THE VIEWS OF THE ASSOCIATION WERE SUBMITTED BY FOUR REPRESENT- ATIVES TO MEMBERS OF THE LEGCO AD HOC GROUP STUDYING THE BILL- HON MARIA TAM (CONVENER), HON CHEUNG YAN-LUNG, HONG MRS SELINA CHOW AND HON CHAN YING-LUN- AT A MEETING TODAY (MONDAY).
THE REPRESENTATIVES, INCLUDING THE CHAIRMAN, MR CLIFF BALE SAID THEY WERE PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT SECTION 20 (SUBSECTIONS A TO D), SECTION 8 AND SECTION 17D.
THEY POINTED OUT THAT AT PRESENT DEFAMATORY AND UNAUTHORISED PUBLICATIONS WERE COVERED BY THE DEFAMATION ORDINANCE, SO THERE WAS NO NEED TO INTRODUCE PROVISIONS SUCH AS THOSE IN SECTION 20 WHICH THEY FEARED WOULD BE USED TO STIFLE MEDIA COMMENT ON THE
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.