HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 18 January 1989
香港立法局
一九八九年一月十八日
15
consultation on routes, numbers and details of meetings and processions to take place.
司徒華議員問:主席先生,從最近的事例來看,警務處處長批准集會後,並沒有因為會場的大小 而決定要減少申請人數,譬如由500人縮減至300人,由200人縮減為100人,這是 否合理?
SECRETARY FOR SECURITY: I would say that would be quite fair, Sir.
MR. LI: Sir, how can the Government complain of public apathy on civic issues when the Government is seen, through resort to the Public Order Ordinance, to be discouraging any attempt by the people of Hong Kong to express their opinion in any public forum?
SECRETARY FOR SECURITY: Sir, I think in this case the proof of the pudding is in the eating and I would like to give figures for the number of applications made and the number of applications rejected in recent years. In 1988 there were 176 notifications of public meetings and three were disallowed. There were 199 licences sought for public processions and five were disallowed. Over the last five years, the total number of notifications and licences sought which have been disallowed or rejected amounted only to 2.3%.
HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT: I have names of two more Members who wish to ask supplementary questions. I will draw the line at that point.
PROF. POON: Sir, will the Secretary further elaborate on the method of appeal as mentioned in the second paragraph of his answer?
SECRETARY FOR SECURITY: Sir, the method of appeal is at present to the Governor. I understand that the OMELCO Security Panel, (it was on the radio this morning), would like to consider channels of redress and would like to look at the mechanics of these to see if improvements can be made. This, of course, is a matter for the Security Panel to consider and to let the Administration know its views in due course. I would like to say a word about appeals. They do take time if they are submitted to the Governor but the aim is that conditions imposed by the police should be accepted by the organizers. The police do not seek to prevent gatherings or to hinder their smooth functioning. Their object is simply to preserve the public peace. Consequently if it appears to the police that any aspect of a proposed gathering might cause disturbances to the peace, they will