دي الط
3011
From the Secretary of State
RECEN
2 4 MAR 1987
IN. *
→>HKD.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
TAY
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Mar
2013
London SW1A 2AH
20 March 1987
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سلا
In bir Edwar
Thank you for your two messages about the
Hong Kong Public Order (Amendment) Ordinance, the
first including the text of Lord Ardwick's message
to the Acting Governor, the second enclosing an
article from the "Asian Wall Street Journal"
I should however
As you will appreciate, this is primarily a
matter for the Hong Kong Government.
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.
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 nevertheless necessary to retain some power to
take action against anyone publishing false news that
might threaten public order. To make it clear that
this was the purpose of the provision, and that it
was not intended as a limitation of the freedom of
In
Sir Edward Pickering
Page 135Page 136