GRS 450
CONFIDENTHAL
FM HONG KONG
TO
MMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1856
OF 141155Z MAY 87
CONFIDENTIAL
3011
HiCD 30 RECEIVED
REGISTRY
15 MAY 1987
TOP
DES-
INC
RICER
82
187
186
TRY
So faken
1815
YOUR TELNO 1303 : FILM CENSORSHIP
MOST GRATEFUL FOR YOUR PROMPT, DETAILED AND VERY HELPFUL RESPONSE
181
2.
MIFT CONTAINS THE TEXT OF A SPEAKHING NOTE, DRAWING ON YOUR ADVICE. THE TEXT WAS READ OUT TO THE OMELCO AD-HOC GROUP (EVENTUALLY AT DICTATION SPEED ON THE HINSNISTANCE OF MARTIN LEE ) WHICH HAS BEEN EXAMINING THE FILM CENSORSHIP BALL.
3. ́THE GROUP'S IMMEDIATE RESPONSE WAS DINVINDED : MARTHA LEE STÄLL QUESTIONED THE COMPATIBILITY OF EITHER OF OUR FORMULAE (DAMAGE TO GOOD RELATIONS OR SERMOUSLY PREDUDICE) WITH ARTİNGLE 19 OF THE COVENANTI. SELINA CHOW (SPEAKING FOR THE FILM INDUSTRY) FELT THAT THE SCOPE GIVEN TO CENSORS WAS TOO WIDE. SZETO WAH AND PANG CHUN-HOW (THE LATTER ELECTED TO LEGCO BY PRO KMT UNIONS) OPPOSED ANY FORM OF POLITICAL CENSORSHIP. YEUNG PO KWAN THE CHAIRMAN OF THE GROUP AND THREE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GROUP WERE CONTENT WITH OUR PROPOSALS
AND ACCEPTED THAT THEY WERE NOT INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE COVENANT.
4. FOLLOWING A LONG MEETING LASTHING ALL MORNING, THE AD-HOC GROUP ASKED US TO CONSIDER FOR THE INTERIM MEASURE ( AND BY IMPLICATION ALSO FOR THE NEW ORDINANCE) THAT THE CURRENT
GUMIDE LINES SHOULD BE INCORPORATED INTO SUBSIDHARY LEGISLATION PLUS
THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS :-
** PROVIDED IN RELATION TO SUB-PARA. 5(U) (DAMAGE TO GOOD RELATIONS) THE CENSOR SHALL NOT BAN A FILM OR ANY PARTICULAR PART OF A FILM
UNLESS HE IS SATISFIED THAT THE FILM OR ANY RELEVANT PART THEREOF-
(H) INFRAWNGES THE RIGHT OR REPUTATION OF OTHERS INCLUDING PUBLIC
FIGURES IN OTHER COUNTRIES: OR
(**H) THREATENS, OR HIS LIKELY TO THREATEN THE TERRITORIAL SECURITY OF HONG KONG.
5. IN RESPONSE WE SAND THAT THIS ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT WOULD POSE VERY DIFFICULT PROBLEMS FOR THE ADMINSTRATION. HOWEVER WE UNDER
-TOOK TO RESPOND AT THE NEXT MEETING, ORIGINALLY SET FOR TOMMORROW BUT IS LIKELY TO BE POSTPONED FOR ABOUT A WEEK AT OUR
REQUEST.
6. WE HAVE SUNCE CONSIDERED FULLY THE GROUP'S PROPOSAL AND ARE OF THE VIEW THAT WE CANNOT LIVE WITH IT, WE COULD OF COURSE TRY TO NEGOTIATE A WATERED -DOWN VERSION BUT WE FEAR THAT THAT WOULD BE
POINTLESS BECAUSE
CONFIDENTIAL
(A)