WEDNESDAY, JULY 8,
JULY 8, 1987
NEED TO SAFEGUARD COMMON GOOD STRESSED
AS POSSIBLE
THE
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION SHOULD BE MAINTAINED AS FAR AND THAT ANY EXCEPTION TO THAT PRINCIPLE MUST BE PROVEN TO BE FOR
PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WHEN THE GOVERNMENT OVERALL BENEFIT OF THE CONSIDERS THE NEED FOR FILM CENSORSHIP, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, DAVID FORD, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
THE HON
HE ADDED THAT IF ANY RESTRICTION WAS TO BE IMPOSED, IT MUST THE MINIMUM NECESSARY TO SAFEGUARD THE COMMON GOOD.
BE
HON MARTIN
MR FORD WAS SPEAKING AGAINST A MOTION MOVED BY THE LEE TO DELETE A CLAUSE OF THE FILM CENSORSHIP REGULATIONS 1987.
3A(VII) WAS ΤΟ SAFEGUARD THE HE SAID THE AIM OF REGULATION
IT PREVENTING
BEING USED FROM HONG KONG BY
AS A INTERESTS OF PROPAGANDA BASE AGAINST OTHER TERRITORIES.
—
SHOULD BE IN CONSIDERING THE MOTION, HE SAID SERIOUS THOUGHTS
THE NEED TO PRESERVE INDIVIDUAL GIVEN TO THREE SIGNIFICANT FACTORS
OF MAINTAINING GOOD FREEDOMS; THE IMPORTANCE TO HONG KONG'S ECONOMY
POLITICAL AND RELATIONS WITH ITS TRADING PARTNERS AND THE PARTICULAR GEOGRAPHICAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF HONG KONG.
THE RIGHT ONE ΤΟ MAKE,
"AS IN SO MANY CASES THE JUDGEMENT ON HOW TO STRIKE BALANCE BETWEEN THE VARIOUS PRINCIPLES IS A DIFFICULT MR FORD NOTED.
NEED ΤΟ HAVE
■
ON
WHETHER THERE WAS A
ANY CENSORSHIP BASED
HAD INDICATED THAT REGULATION 3A(VII), HE SAID THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HONG KONG, IN COMMON WITH MOST OTHER TERRITORIES, HAD A NATURAL DESIRE TO LIVE PEACEABLY WITH ITS NEIGHBOURS AND TO DIMINISH ANY HOSTILITY OR INTERNATIONAL RECRIMINATIONS.
IN ADDITION, HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD THAT BECAUSE HONG KONG'S WHOLE ECONOMY AND WAS UNIQUELY DEPENDENT UPON ITS
THE SCOPE FOR
ALSO TAKEN THE VIEW LIVELIHOOD OF IT'S PEOPLE ABILITY ΤΟ TRADE, THE TERRITORY'S RELATIONS WITH ITS TRADING PARTNERS MUST NOT BE PUT AT RISK.
DO NOT SEE WHY WE SHOULD RISK "FOR BOTH THESE REASONS WE DAMAGE TO HONG KONG'S RELATIONS WITH OTHER TERRITORIES BY ALLOWING IT CRITICAL OF EITHER OUR TO BE USED AS A PLACE WHERE POLITICAL FILMS,
SHOULD BE SHOWN, MR FORD NEIGHBOURS OR OF OUR TRADING PARTNERS, ADDED.
FILMS WERE HE STRESSED THAT THE DECISIONS OF NOT TO SHOW SUCH
ON JUDGEMENT OF THE MADE ON THE GOVERNMENT'S OWN INITIATIVE, BASED LIKELIHOOD OF THE FILM CAUSING OFFENCE TO OTHER TERRITORIES.
MR FORD POINTED OUT THAT OVER THE PAST 14 FILMS HAD BEEN SUBMITTED FOR CENSORSHIP.
YEARS ABOUT 10,000
ONLY ONE
OR
TWO
A
YEAR, FROM
NINE
"A TOTAL OF 15 FILMS, DIFFERENT COUNTRIES HAVE BEEN BANNED.
/HE ADDED .*****