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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1986
GIVEN THE INTENTION TO WIDEN PUBLIC CONSULTATION COUPLED WITH THE LIMITATIONS OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM, THE ADVISORY BOARD IS EXPECTED TO BE TASKED WITH THE TERMS OF REFERENCE INCLUDING ADVISING THE FILM CENSORSHIP AUTHORITY ON FILM CENSORSHIP STANDARDS: TO MONITOR THE EXISTING CENSORSHIP PROCESS, TO PROPOSE CHANGES TO THE GUIDELINES FOR FILM CENSORSHIP AND TO OBSERVE THE EXTENT TO WHICH THESE ARE OBSERVED.
THE BOARD IS ALSO ENVISAGED TO BE TASKED WITH CONSIDERING MEANS OF ASSESSING PUBLIC EXPECTATION OF FILM CENSORSHIP STANDARDS AND INTERPRETING THE RESULTS OF ANY SUCH ASSESSMENT INCLUDING THE RESULTS OF ESTABLISHED SURVEYS AND RECOMMENDING FOLLOW-UP ACTION.
ANOTHER TASK WHICH THE BOARD IS EXPECTED TO TAKE ON IS TO CONSIDER MATTERS RELATING TO THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE PLACES OF PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT ORDINANCE AND ITS SUBSIDIARY REGULATIONS IN RESPECT OF FILM CENSORSHIP AND TO ADVISE ACCORDINGLY.
+IN THIS CONNECTION, IT IS RELEVANT TO NOTE THAT A SIMILAR, BUT STATUTORY BOARD IS ESTABLISHED UNDER THE TELEVISION ORDINANCE TO ADVISE, INTER ALIA, THE TELEVISION AUTHORITY IN THE EXERCISE OF HIS FUNCTIONS, MR HSU NOTED.
AS A FURTHER STEP, HE SAID, THE GOVERNMENT WAS ALSO CONSIDERING CHANGES TO THE COMPOSITION OF THE FILM CENSORSHIP REVIEW BOARD.
+ ONE OF THE PROPOSALS UNDER CONSIDERATION IS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF LAY PERSONS FROM THREE AT PRESENT TO SAY SIX, WHICH WE HOPE WOULD ENABLE A GREATER MEASURE OF COMMUNITY VIEWS TO BE REFLECTED IN REVIEWING THE CENSOR'S DECISIONS, HE SAID.
MR HSU NOTED THAT THE SETTING OF FILM STANDARDS WAS A DIFFICULT AND ONEROUS TASK AND IT WOULD ONLY BE FAIR AND LOGICAL THAT THE GOVERNMENT TOOK POSITIVE STEPS TO IMPROVE ON THE MEANS OF GAUGING PUBLIC VIEWS ON SUCH STANDARDS.
J
+BUT WHATEVER WE DO, THE FUNDAMENTAL DILEMMA IS THE SAME, THAT IS, HOW TO ESTABLISH CONTROLS WHICH ALLOW MAXIMUM FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND YET MINIMISE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ABUSE AND THEREFORE HARM.+
THE TASKS BEFORE US ARE BOTH SENSITIVE AND IMPORTANT, AND I HOPE, THROUGH GREATER PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND THE INTRODUCTION OF A THREE-TIER FILM CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM, WE ARE HOPEFULLY MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, HE SAID.
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