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Wednesday, February 13, 1974
NO DISCRIMINATION AGAINST LESS WIDELY SPOKEN CHINESE DIALECTS
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Non-Cantonese speaking Chinese people will not be discriminated
against under the provisions of the Official Languages Pill.
This assurance was given in the Legislative Council today by the
Secretary for Home Affairs, the Hon. Denis Bray.
He pointed out that although the bill made no mention of the
official version of spoken Chinese, the government in its oral dealings
with Cantonese speakers would use Cantonese. The use of any dialect,
Mr. Bray added, "will be governed by the practicality of situations,'
As an example of non-discrimination against those people who speak
Chinese dialects other than Cantonese, Mr. Bray quoted the provision of
a clause in the bill which allows parties and witnesses in court to speak
in any Chinese or English dialect they wished.
Mr. Bray made it clear that apart from the two offficial languages,
it would be up to the court whether or not to permit the use of any other
language in court proceedings.
Tuming to practical suggestions raised by Unofficial Members,
Mr. Bray emphasised that it was now general government policy to reply to
Chinese communications in Chinese. Some departments had, in fact, conducted
correspondenco in Chinese for over twenty years.
The Chinese Language Branch of the Home Affairs Department had
startod taking steps to improve and standardise the quality of Chinese
communications, and Chinese typewriters would be used more.
/On the ....