WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 1984
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ASSURANCE ON HUMAN RIGHTS SOUGHT
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BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS DO NOT COME FROM THE LAW BUT THEY MUST BE PROTECTED BY THE LAW, REV HON PATRICK MCGOVERN SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING IN THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE, FR MCGOVERN DESCRIBED THE SORT OF DETAILS HE CONSIDERED THAT SHOULD BE SPELT OUT AND GUARANTEED IN THE PROPOSED BASIC LAW IF HUMAN RIGHTS WERE TO BE PROTECTED.
HE OBSERVED THAT ONE OF THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL YEARNINGS OF PEOPLES' HEARTS WAS THE DESIRE FOR FREEDOM, NOT ONLY IN HONG KONG BUT ALL OVER THE WORLD.
+ IT IS HARD TO DEFINE FREEDOM, BUT PEOPLE KNOW WHEN THEY HAVE IT AND WHEN THEY HAVE NOT, HE SAID.
HE CITED THE MOVEMENT OF THOUSANDS OF REFUGEES IN RECENT DECADES ESPECIALLY IN EUROPE, AFRICA AND ASIA AS +A VIVID WITNESS TO THAT FACT+.
IN THIS CENTURY THE WORLD COMMUNITY HAS CLARIFIED ITS COLLECTIVE THOUGHT AND HAS COME NEARER TO DEFINING OR DESCRIBING WHAT FREEDOM IS.
THE BEST EFFORT SO FAR IS CONTAINED IN THE 'UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS' ADOPTED AND PROCLAIMED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE UNITED NATIONS ON THE 10TH OF DECEMBER 1948, + HE NOTED.
HE TABLED THE DECLARATION AS AN APPENDIX TO HIS SPEECH.
HE POINTED OUT THAT SOME OF THE BROAD PRINCIPLES OF THE DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS HAD BEEN SPELT OUT IN GREATER DETAIL IN OTHER UNITED NATIONS DOCUMENTS AND THE DECLARATION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF INTOLERANCE AND DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RELIGION OR BELIEF' WAS ONE OF THESE FOLLOW UP DOCUMENTS.
COMMENTING ON THIS DOCUMENT, FR MCGOVERN SAID, THE DIFFICULTIES IN GETTING AN AGREED DRAFT WERE SUCH THAT IT TOOK 20 YEARS TO ARRIVE AT THE VERSION PUBLISHED IN 1981.+
+THIS GIVES IN ARTICLE ONE NOT MERELY 'FREEDOM OF BELIEF' BUT THE RIGHT INDIVIDUALLY OR IN COMMUNITY WITH OTHERS AND IN PUBLIC OR PRIVATE TO MANIFEST ONE'S RELIGION OR BELIEF IN WORSHIP, OBSERVANCE, PRACTICE AND TEACHING', + HE QUOTED.
HE NOTED THAT EVERY WORD HAD A MEANING AND SIGNIFICANCE BROADENING THE APPLICATION OF THE GENERAL PRINCIPLE OF THE ORIGINAL UNIVERSAL DECLARATION.
/+I GIV..