GRS270 CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1253
CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY Q DIST?
75
HKD 30
OF 280245Z MARCH 87
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
RECEIVED 'N RE
31 MAR 1787
SIXY
Auton Token
YOUR TELNO 875: FILM CLASSIFICATION
FURTHER TO MY TELNO 1209 OF 260925Z MARCH 87, AN EXCO MEMOR-
ANDUM WAS ISSUED TODAY FOR CONSIDERATION ON 31 MARCH. IN THE
MEANTIME, AMENDMENTS TO CLAUSES 9 AND 27 OF THE DRAFT BILL ARE
BEING PREPARED WITH A VIEW TO (A) LIBERALIZING THE CIRCUMSTANCES
UNDER WHICH FILMS ARE TO BE CENSORED: AND (B) INCREASING THE
REPRESENTATION OF LAY PERSONS ON THE FILM CENSORHIP REVIEW BOARD.
AMENDMENT SHEETS WILL BE ISSUED TO EXCO PRIOR TO THE 31 MARCH
MEETING. WE WILL FAX THEM TO HK LONDON OFFICE FOR ONWARD TRANS-
MISSION TO YOU. THE INTENTION IS FOR HKG TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE
BEFORE THE DRAFT BILL IS PUBLISHED IN ANTICIPATION OF PUBLIC PRESSURE
WHICH IS MOST LIKELY DURING CONSULTATION. WILL ADVISE YOU OF EXCO
DECISION.
2.
MEDIA INTEREST FOLLOWING THE ASIAN WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORT
ON 17 MARCH HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT BUT THE DEGREE OF CRITICISM OF
GOVERNMENT'S STANCE DIFFERED FROM PAPER TO PAPER. SOME PRESS COMMENTARIES NOTED THAT THE LEAK, WHICH CAME SO CLOSE TO THE PASSAGE OF THE PUBLIC ORDER (AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE, HAD UNDERMINED PUBLIC CONFIDENCE TOWARDS THE GOVERNMENT. MOST PAPERS SUPPORTED
THE LEGISLATIVE APPROACH, AS DID THE FILM INDUSTRY. THE PUBLIC
SEEMED TO HAVE ACCEPTED THE LEGCO AD HOC GROUP'S RECOMMENDATION
OF A LEGISLATIVE APPROACH TO RECTIFY THE VIRES OF THE EXISTING
LAW.
3.
A SECOND ARTICLE BY FRANK CHING APPEARED IN THE AWSJ ON
25.3.87. THE ARTICLE ALLEGED THAT THE ADMINISTRATION WAS DELIBER-
ATELY TRYING TO COVER UP THE ILLEGALITY OF THE GOVERNMENT'S FILM
CENSORSHIP LAW IN THE CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENT FOR LEGCO. A COPY OF THIS ARTICLE WILL BE FAXED TO THE LONDON OFFICE FOR ONWARD TRANSMISSION TO YOU. UNLIKE THE FIRST ARTICLE, THE SECOND ARTICLE IN THE AWSJ RECEIVED LITTLE COVERAGE IN THE CHINESE PRESS. AKERS-JONES
HMLNAN 0786
HONG KONG AGREEMENT: RESTRICTED
LIMITED
HD/HKD
HD/FED
RESEARCH D. (FE)
DEP.HD/PUSD
PS/MR RENTON
MR GILLMORE
COPIES TO:
MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS
HONG KONG GOVT. OFFICE
LONDON
CONFIDENTIAL