TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1984
14
+ BESIDES, IT IS HOPED THAT, THROUGH HER LINK WITH THE UNITED NATIONS, CHINA WILL TAKE PART IN THE MONITORING OF THE IMPLEMENTATION IN ORDER THAT THE NOBLE AIM OF PROMOTING RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN EVERY COUNTRY MAY BE ACHIEVED, + SHE SAID.
SHE NOTED THAT SECTION X111 OF ANNEX I TO THE DRAFT AGREEMENT STIPULATED THAT THE RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS AS PROVIDED FOR BY THE LAWS PREVIOUSLY IN FORCE IN HONG KONG WOULD BE MAINTAINED BY THE HONG KONG SAR GOVERNMENT.
IT WAS FURTHER STIPULATED THAT THE PROVISIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS AND THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS AS APPLIED TO HONG KONG WOULD REMAIN IN FORCE, SHE SAID.
+ IT IS WORTH MENTIONING THAT WHEN SIGNING AND RATIFYING THESE TWO CONVENANTS, BRITA IN MADE DECLARATIONS RELEVANT TO HONG KONG THAT SHE WOULD RESERVE THE RIGHT NOT TO APPLY CERTAIN PROVISIONS IN HONG KONG.
+ THESE RESERVATIONS SOMEHOW SEEM TO BE OUT OF DATE NOW,+ MRS NG SAID.
INSTEAD, A MORE LIBERAL ATTITUDE SHOULD BE ADOPTED TO INTRODUCE MORE OF THE REASONABLE PROVISIONS CONTAINED IN THE COVENANTS SO AS TO TIE IN WITH THE CHANGES OF THIS HISTORICAL MOMENT, SHE SAID.
SHE SAID SHE WAS PLEASED TO NOTE FROM SECTION X IN ANNEX | TO THE DRAFT AGREEMENT THAT HONG KONG WOULD ENJOY THE RIGHT OF MAKING ITS OWN POLICIES IN THE FIELDS OF CULTURE, EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AFTER 1997, THUS ENABLING INSTITUTIONS OF ALL KINDS TO RETAIN THE IR AUTONOMY.
WHILE NOTING THAT THE HONG KONG SAR GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE ITS OWN RIGHT TO DECIDE THE POLICIES REGARDING THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AND ITS ADMINISTRATION, MRS NG HOPED THAT IT WOULD ADOPT A MORE DEMOCRATIC APPROACH IN FORMULATING SUCH POLICIES AND IMPROVE THE EXISTING CONSULTATIVE SYSTEM IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION.
SHE ALSO HOPED THAT HONG KONG WOULD TAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE REPORT OF A PANEL OF VISITORS DURING THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD WITH A VIEW TO ACHIEVING A HIGHLY DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM IN THE MAKING OF OUR EDUCATION POLICIES.
MRS NG CONSIDERED THAT FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AND OF SPEECH WERE ESSENTIAL IN MAINTAINING THE FUTURE STATUS OF HONG KONG.
+AS LONG AS THE CONTENTS OF EXPRESSION ARE NOT LIBELLOUS, I HOPE THAT CHINA WILL ALLOW THE EXPRESSION OF DIFFERENT OPINIONS AND CRITICISMS, SHE SAID.
/+I ALSO