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differing views Members have expressed this afternoon on
how much weight should be given to the factors involved.
I hope that what I have to say may help other Members come
to a decision which is in the best
best interest of the
community as a whole.
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When considering the need for the censorship of
films, the Administration starts from the position that we
should maintain freedom of expression as far as possible
and that any exception to that principle must be proven to
be for the overall benefit of the people of Hong Kong. If
any restriction is to be imposed, it must be the minimum
necessary to safeguard the common good.
Let me first address the question,therefore, as
to whether there is a need to have any censorship based on
Regulation 3A (7). As my friend the Attorney General has
indicated pointed out that Hong Kong, in common with most other
territories, has a natural desire to live peaceably with
its neighbours and to diminish the scope for any hostility
or international recriminations. Furthermore we have
taken the view that because Hong Kong's whole economy and
the livelihood of its people is uniquely dependent upon
its ability to
to trade, our relations with om trading
a
partners must not be put at risk. For both these reasons,
we do not see why we should risk damage to Hong Kong's
relations with other territories by allowing it to be used
as a place where political films, critical of either our