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THURSDAY, APRI 14, 1994
THAT, TOO, HAS HAD TO BE REDISCOVERED. I WAS ALARMED TO COMB ACROSS RECENTLY A STATUTE FROM MY OWN ALMA MATER, THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD IN THE COUNTY OF OXFORDSHIRE. IT READS: "BACHELORS AND MASTERS OF THE ARTS WHO DO NOT FOLLOW THE PHILOSOPHY OF ARISTOTLE ARE SUBJECT TO A FINE OF FIVE SHILLINGS FOR EACH POINT OF DIVERGENCE.
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I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER THIS DRACONIAN PROHIBITION, INTRODUCED AT AROUND THE START OF THE MING DYNASTY, HAS EVER BEEN OFFICIALLY REPEALED. BUT I AM THANKFUL THAT IT WAS NOT BEING VIGOROUSLY ENFORCED WHEN I WAS AN UNDERGRADUATE.
JUST AS FREEDOM OF THOUGHT AND OF EXPRESSION ARE NECESSARY IN A UNIVERSITY, SO THEY ARE FUNDAMENTAL IN ANY HEALTHY, MODERN, SOCIETY. THIS HAS NEVER BEEN CLEARER THAN TODAY AS MORE AND MORE SOCIETIES SOCIETIES NOT ONLY IN EUROPE BUT IN ASIA, NOT ONLY IN THE NEW WORLD BUT IN AFRICA - DISCOVER THE BENEFITS OF THE FREE MARKET IN IDEAS AS IN ECONOMICS. FOR THE ACTIONS OF GOVERNMENT CAN ONLY MEET THE NEEDS OF THE GOVERNED IF THEY ARE SUBJECT TO SCRUTINY BY THE GOVERNED, AND IF GOVERNMENT IS WILLING TO PROVIDE RATIONAL ANSWERS TO THEIR CRITICISMS. AS JOHN STUART MILL PUT IT, HOW CAN THE CRITICISMS "BE ANSWERED IF THAT WHICH REQUIRES TO BE ANSWERED IS NOT SPOKEN? HOW CAN THE ANSWER BE KNOWN TO BE SATISFACTORY IF THE OBJECTORS HAVE NO OPPORTUNITY OF SHOWING THAT IT IS UNSATISFACTORY?
IF ALL MANKIND WERE OF ONE OPINION, AND ONLY ONE PERSON WERE OF THE CONTRARY OPINION, MANKIND WOULD BE NO MORE JUSTIFIED IN SILENCING THAT PERSON THAN HE WOULD BE JUSTIFIED IN SILENCING MANKIND."
WHAT HAS ALL THIS GOT TO DO WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION? AS IT HAPPENS, QUITE A LOT. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IS THE CORNERSTONE OF ANY OPEN SOCIETY, AND OF NONE MORE THAN HONG KONG, HENCE, I IMAGINE, THE DEPTH AND BREADTH OF PUBLIC CONCERN HERE ABOUT THE CASE OF MR XI YANG. THE JOINT DECLARATION IS A DISTILLATION, IN THE FORM OF A BINDING INTERNATIONAL TREATY REGISTERED AT THE UNITED NATIONS, OF THE ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR OPEN SOCIETY.
AT THE RISK OF INCURRING A FINE FROM THE OXFORD PROCTORS FOR AN APPROACH WHICH OWES MORE TO PLATO THAN TO ARISTOTLE, LET US LOOK FURTHER AT THE CONCEPTS, SET OUT IN THE JOINT DECLARATION, WHICH EMBODY THE ESSENCE OF HONG KONG. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IS CERTAINLY ONE. BUT THERE IS ANOTHER, EQUALLY IMPORTANT, AND THAT IS HONG KONG'S "HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY", THE IDEA SO ELOQUENTLY ENCAPSULATED IN THE WORDS "ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS"
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AS HAS BEEN SAID MANY TIMES, "ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS" IS A VISIONARY IDEA, AND THE KEY TO HONG KONG'S CONTINUED SUCCESS. BUT A9 WITH ALL VISIONARY IDEAS, MANY DETAILED QUESTIONS NEED TO BE ANSWERED BEFORE IT CAN BE PUT INTO PRACTICE, FAITHFULLY TRANSLATED INTO EVERY ASPECT OF OUR DAILY LIVES. OUR TASK AS WE IMPLEMENT THE JOINT DECLARATION IS TO PROVIDE THOSE ANSWERS, TO WORK OUT TOGETHER AUTONOMY ACTUALLY MEANS ON THE GROUND: FOR THE CIVIL SERVANT, FOR CAPTAIN OF INDUSTRY OR FINANCE, FOR THE JUDGE AND THE LAWYER, FOR THE JOURNALIST AND THE EDITOR. FOR THE MAN OR WOMAN WHO DRIVES THE TRAM, FOR THE HOUSEWIFE AND FOR THE CHILDREN OF HONG KONG WHO WILL INHERIT THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE ANSWERS WE PROVIDE. ESPECIALLY FOR THE CHILDREN. HONG KONG'S "HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY" IS MORE THAN AN ABSTRACT FORMULA ARRIVED AT BETWEEN DIPLOMATS ACROSS THE BAIZE TABLE. FAR MORE THAN THAT. IT IS THE VERY REAL TEMPLATE FOR THE LIVES AND LIVELIHOODS OF SIX MILLION PEOPLE.
/OF COURSE,