And the Regulations will
be revoked upon the enactment of the Bill. Up until today
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not be affected by the Regulations.
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we are still in the consultative period. Mr. Lee today raised
regulation
a motion that we should delete section 3A (7) from the regulation.
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The provision stipulates that unless in the considered opinion of the censor that the showing of a film in a public place
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серія
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would damage good relations with other territories, otherwise he must not exercise authority to ban or excise the film. Under normal circumstances this provision will give rise to two different sets of opinions. One view is that
we are enjoying less and less freedom during the transition period. Hong Kong is becoming more political. It is not possible to subdue films touching on politics. Another view is that for the past several decades: Hong Kong has been enjoying political stability and this is beneficial to economic prosperity. And in fact all along we have political censorship. This is nothing new. To maintain a good relationship with other territories will facilitate the government administeringe the territories more smoothly and during the sensitive transitional period we should avoid causing political disturbance. As a matter of fact, since 1974 a total of 18 films have been banned on the basis of damaging good relations with other territories, eight of which is produced in Taiwan, three in Hong Kong, one in China and three in North Vietnam. There are also films produced in Itay, France as well as a joint production between Japan and USSR. And the themes of these banned films vary. Some of them might involve political propaganda, other touches on anti-Communist scenes and also politically sensitive films. These films might arouse radical reaction among the audience, or perhaps the country concerned might not favour Hong Kong showing these films. Therefore, when weighing these factors the administration must exercise caution bearing in mind the different nature, situation and timing involved when making a decision. Before coming to the decision, teller should consult government departments concerned and to ensure