OCMIAN 3577
CONFIDENTIAL
OO HOKON
CONFIDENTIAL:
HKD 301/ RECEIVEC REGISTRY
2 4 MAR 1987
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REVISTRY
Action Taken
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43577
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FM FCOLN TO HOKON
INL
231600Z MAR
GRS 497
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 854
OF 23160OZ MARCH 87
36
YOUR TELNO 1050: PUBLIC ORDER (AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE
1.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND MR RENTON HAVE NOW AGREED THAT MR RENTON WILL SEE AN FCC DELEGATE IF THEY DECIDE TO SEND ONE. IF A MEETING DOES TRANSPIRE WE WILL BEAR IN MIND YOUR POINTS IN PARAS 1 AND 2 OF TUR. GRATEFUL MEANWHILE IF YOU WOULD PASS THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO MR BIDDULPH, PRESIDENT, FCC, FROM THE
SECRETARY OF STATE.
BEGINS
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TELEX OF 16 MARCH ABOUT THE HONG KONG PUBLIC ORDER (AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE.
AS YOU WILL APPRECIATE, THIS IS PRIMARILY A MATTER FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. I SHOULD HOWEVER MAKE TWO POINTS. FIRST THE LEGISLATION PASSED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON 11 MARCH INCLUDED THE REPEAL OF A NUMBER OF STRINGENT PROVISIONS OF THE CONTROL OF PUBLICATIONS CONSOLIDATION ORDINANCE THAT HAD BEEN PART OF THE LAWS OF HONG KONG FOR MANY YEARS, BUT WHICH HAVE NOT PREVENTED THE HONG KONG MEDIA FROM BEING AMONG THE MOST FREE AND OUTSPOKEN IN ASIA. IN REVIEWING THIS LEGISLATION AND DECIDING UPON THESE REPEALS, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT CONSIDERED THAT IN SUCH A SMALL AND DENSELY-POPULATED PLACE AS HONG KONG, IT WAS
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CONFIDENTIAL
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