SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 1988
GOVT TO REVIEW SECTION OF PUBLIC ORDER ORDINANCE
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THE GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO REVIEW SECTION 27 OF THE PUBLIC ORDER ORDINANCE AT THE END OF THIS
YEAR, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID FORD, SAID TODAY (SUNDAY).
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"THE FORM OF THE REVIEW AND THE METHOD OF CONSULTATION WILL ВВ CONSIDERED NEARER THE TIME, SIR DAVID SAID WHEN OPENING A SEMINAR ON PRESS FREEDOM ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION.
TO
BE
"I AM SURE IT WILL BE ACCEPTED THAT IF THAT REVIEW 19 MEANINGFUL, A REASONABLE PERIOD OF TIME SHOULD BE ALLOWED FOR THE EFFECT OF THE LAW TO BE MONITORED.'
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SIR DAVID EXPLAINED THAT THE ADMINISTRATION'S MOTIVATION IN RETAINING SECTION 27 OF THE ORDINANCE WAS LIMITED TO THE PROTECTION OF THE COMMUNITY AGAINST THE DAMAGING EFFECTS WHICH THE SPREAD OF FALSE NEWS COULD HAVE IN SUCH A CLOSE COMMUNITY AS HONG KONG'S.
"AS I SAID AT THE TIME, THE MEASURE WAS INTENDED TO BE ONE OF LAST RESORT AND IN NO WAY INTENDED TO INHIBIT THE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS," HE SAID.
"IN THE EVENT, IT WAS INTERPRETED DIFFERENTLY AND IT IS OF CONCERN TO ME THAT THE MEDIA REACTION ΤΟ IT SHOULD HAVE HAD A DAMAGING EFFECT BOTH HERE AND OVERSEAS.
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SIR DAVID SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS PROUD OF THE PRESS FREEDOM THAT EXISTED IN HONG KONG AND HAD DONE MUCH, OVER MANY YEARS, TO PROMOTE AND FACILITATE THE EXERCISE OF THAT FREEDOM.
THE MEDIA, HE
OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND SAID: "IT IS THE NATURE OF SUCH RELATIONSHIPS, IF THEY ARE TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHY BALANCE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST, THAT BOTH SIDES REMAIN A LITTLE WARY, A LITTLE ARGUMENTATIVE AND CERTAINLY MORE THAN JUST A LITTLE CRITICAL."
OF A
OBJECTIVE CRITICISM WAS INDISPENSABLE TO THE DEVELOPMENT SOUND ADMINISTRATION, AND ESPECIALLY SO IN A TIGHTLY KNIT, CLOSELY INTERACTING SOCIETY SUCH AS HONG KONG'S.
HONG KONG HAD A VERY FREE SOCIETY, A FREEDOM WHICH STEMMED FROM THE PRINCIPLE OF THE RULE OF LAW, HE SAID.
THERE WAS FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND EXPRESSION, FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION AND FREEDOM OF TRAVEL.
JOURNALISTS A SENSE OF BUSINESS WITHOUT FEELING OR BY THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE
I HOPE THAT CREATES IN THE MINDS OF FREEDOM THAT THEY CAN GO ABOUT THEIR OPPRESSED OR THREATENED BY AUTHORITY SOCIETY IN WHICH THEY LIVE," HE SAID.
"I HOPE