CONFIDENTIAL
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to ban
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tiresome factor. The provisions of the new film censorship bill appear regrettably to have circumscribed the Governor's freedom of
manouevre. This is unfortunate but inevitable. Taking all the
factors into account, I conclude on balance that option (a)
the film - is not a feasible proposition; and that option (b)
delay a decision would not help, and could hinder, our efforts to
contain the problem. I therefore endorse Governor's advice that
the least unsatisfactory choice is go ahead as quickly as possible.
I submit a draft telegram on these lines.
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ARPa
A R Paul
D
1.
I have discussed this submission with the Department. We had of course known about the new film censorship legislation and the reasons for it, but I had not realised that it included time limits or an appeal mechanism involving a body with a non-official majority. As Mr Paul notes, the Hong Kong Government's freedom of manoeuvre is now severely circumscribed. If the Governor is right in saying that the maintenance of the earlier ban/would probably be overturned by the Appeal Committee, the same will no doubt apply in the case of other Taiwan propaganda films. We can thus look forward to a series of rows with the Chinese.
on "If I were that'
I
2. We are faced with three unsatisfactory options. The arguments between them are very finely balanced. My personal preference would be to maintain the ban (option (a)): While there is some media advantage to be gained by being seen to stand up to the Chinese, do not think that a Taiwan propaganda film is an ideal issue on which to pick a fight. But I am impressed by the Governor's view that an attempt to ban the film would be very damaging in terms of the Hong Kong Government's public position, and by Sir A Donald's view (in Peking Telno 126) that Chinese ire is likely to be comparatively short-lived. I therefore reluctantly concur with the recommendation in this submission. But I think we should ask the Governor to take one further look at the possibility of postponing the problem until after Zhou Nan's visit to Hong Kong, and have amended the draft telegram accordingly.
види
2 February 1989
Cc: PS; Mr Gillmore;
FED; Mr Paul, HKD.
CONFIDENTIAL
RJT McLaren