1990-05-20 19:49 MARTIN LEE'S CHAMBEPS
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right of peaceful assembly contained in Article 18 of the Bi
of Rights and Article 21 of the ICCPR."
also
The summonses coincide with a refusal by the Government to allow a church group to hold a meeting in Queen Elizabeth Stadium
commemorating the June 4 massacre. HIL SOOME as if the Hong Kong
@romarked, "Is actively seeking to discourage
and prevent peaceshis pommemoration of June 4 Such action is
consistent with the Hong Kong Government's promise to the PRC--
contained in an October 1989 letter from the Political Advisor
to the Hong Kong branch of the New China News Agency (the defacto
PRC embassy in Hong Kong)--that the Government 'has no intention
of allowing Hong Kong to be used as a base for subversive
activities against the PRC.*
In that letter, the Government pointed to arrests of certain
protesters outside of the NCNA and its refusal to allow for "a
permanent site for a replica statute of democracy" as evidence
of its "prudent regard" for the "interests and concerns of the
Chinese Government." Mr. Lee stated, "The charges laid against
the four democracy leaders repeat this extremely disturbing
decision of the Hong Kong Government to place the concerns of the
Chinese Government supreme over human rights and freedom of
expression in Hong Kong.
if
Determined to preserve freedom of expression in Hong Kong,
at least some of the four leaders of the United Democrats,
convicted, will refuse to pay fines aed under a statute that
violates the ICCPR and the Bill of Rights. Rather, they call on
the Government to rescind all such statutes immediately and to
be far more vigilant in its protection of human rights between