Rt Hon Norman Fowler MP
House of Commons
London
SW1A OAA
Thank you for your letter of 18 July to
William Waldegrave enclosing one from your constituent, Dr J
L Aston of 24 Markham Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands,
B73 6QR, about Hong Kong. Malcolm Caithness
minatural rupomibility fu
ldfield, zian
Hong Kong at the Forcign Office
but
\ Outdo
rylying in his
abienu.
Dr Aston refers to the prosecution of certain individuals in Hong Kong under the Summary Offences
Ordinance. As you will be aware, these cases are sub judice and cannot comment on their particular circumstances.
we
Nevertheless, the laws under which charges are being brought are laws of the Hong Kong Government. The decision to prosecute was taken by the Hong Kong Attorney General. It must be for the Hong Kong Government to handle these cases in accordance with Hong Kong law.
On the general question of human rights in Hong Kong, Dr Aston may not be aware that the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights have been extended to Hong Kong since 1976.
Furthermore the Hong Kong Government has recently introduced a draft Bill of Rights into the Legislative Council which will give clear effect in a single local law to the relevant provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Article 39 of the Basic Law stipulates that the provisions of the International Covenants as applied to Hong Kong "shall remain in force and
shall be implemented through the laws of the Hong Kong
ALRACR/1