ний
RECEIVE
3011
3 C NOV 1987
FFICE RESTRICTED...
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 4349
OF 171035Z NOVEMBER 87
Acoon Taken
TOP
O DIST ?
280
145612
MDHIAN 6240
MIPT : PUBLIC ORDER ORDINANCE : LETTER FROM MS ANN CLWYD MP
TEXT OF MS CLWYD'S LETTER IS AS FOLLOWS
BEGINS
THE NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS IN LONDON HAVE WRITTEN TO ME
REGARDING THE INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION BY THE HONG KONG
AUTHORITIES TO THE EFFECT THAT IF A NEWSPAPER PRINTS ANYTHING WHICH
IS LIKELY, IN THE VIEW OF THE AUTHORITIES, TO LEAD TO PUBLIC DISORDER, THIS COULD RESULT IN IMPRISONMENT. IN ORDER TO AVOID THIS A NEWSPAPER WOULD HAVE TO PROVE THAT WHAT THEY HAD PRINTED WAS TRUE.
THE HONG KONG JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION FEAR THAT THIS WILL MEAN
NEWSPAPERS IMPOSING SELF-CENSORSHIP ON THEMSELVES AND ALSO THE EXTENSION OF THIS INTO TELEVISION AND FILMS. THEY CONSIDER THIS WILL
HINDER FREEDOM OF THE PRESS.
THEY HAVE PROMOTED A CAMPAIGN AGAINST THIS LEGISLATION AND I UNDERSTAND THAT A NUMBER OF MEDIA GROUPS IN HONG KONG, INCLUDING THE JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION, HAVE SENT A LETTER OF PROTEST TO YOU.
I SHARE THEIR CONCERN OVER THIS MATTER AND AM WRITING TO SUPPORT THEIR PROTEST AGAINST THE LEGISLATION, WHICH IS WIDELY REGARDED AS RETROGRESSIVE AND LIKELY TO LEAD TO SELF-CENSORSHIP OF JOURNALISTS' MATERIAL.
ENDS
WILSON
YYYY
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