WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 1994
THE
GOVERNOR COMMENTS ON RESIGNATION OF JOURNALISTS
*
GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, THIS (WEDNESDAY) AFTERNOON SAID IT WAS VERY SAD WHEN SIX SENIOR AND RESPECTED JOURNALISTS HAD RESIGNED FROM A NEWS ORGANISATION.
RESPONDING ΤΟ MEDIA QUESTIONS AFTER VISITING THE TUEN MUN DISTRICT, MR PATTEN SAID THERE WERE TWO ISSUES WHICH WERE RAISED BY A CASE LIKE THIS.
"THE FIRST IS THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING SEPARATE THE MANAGEMENT AND THE EDITORIAL FUNCTIONS IN ANY MEDIA ORGANISATION, WHETHER A BROADCASTING COMPANY OR A NEWSPAPER," HE SAID.
"SECONDLY, I THINK IT UNDERLINES THE IMPORTANCE OF FREEDOM OF
THE PRESS."
MR PATTEN SAID PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT HONG KONG AS BEING THE BEST POSSIBLE EXAMPLE OF AN OPEN MARKET ECONOMY AND IT WAS NOT A COINCIDENCE THAT IT ALSO HAD PROBABLY THE LARGEST NUMBER OF NEWSPAPERS PER HEAD ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD AND HAD A NUMBER OF VIBRANT BROADCASTING ORGANISATIONS AS WELL.
"THAT, TOO, IS AN ASPECT OF HONG KONG'S OPENNESS AND HONG KONG'S NATURE AS A PLURAL SOCIETY WHICH VALUES THE FREE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS.
"SO, I THINK THESE ARE IMPORTANT MATTERS FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND THEY ARE MATTERS WHICH DESERVE A GOOD DEAL OF DISCUSSION AND DEBATE.' HE SAID.
THE GOVERNOR ADDED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS IN THE REVIEWING ALL THOSE ORDINANCES WHICH MIGHT BE ABUSED UNDERMINE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS.
PROCESS OF AND MIGHT
"WE'VE AGREED ON A PROGRAMME OF REFORM AND IF THE JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION THINK THERE ARE OTHER ORDINANCES IN ADDITION TO THOSE WHICH WE'VE PROMISED TO LOOK AT, WHICH NEED REVIEW, THEN WE ARE PREPARED TO LOOK AT THOSE AS WELL, ALWAYS BEARING IN MIND THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING PRIVACY OF THE INDIVIDUAL, HE ADDED.
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IN RESPONSE ΤΟ A MEDIA QUESTION ABOUT THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, MR PATTEN SAID EXCO HAD NOT MADE FINAL DECISIONS ON THE MATTER.
"EXCO IS STILL DISCUSSING A NUMBER OF MEASURES WHICH HAVE A BEARING ON HUMAN RIGHTS, HE SAID.
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MR PATTEN SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE MAKING AN ANNOUNCEMENT ONE OF THE QUESTIONS INVOLVED IN THIS WHOLE DEBATE AT A PRESS CONFERENCE ON FRIDAY.
ABOUT
"AND IN
THE MEANTIME,
DISCUSSION
IN EXCO AND IN THE
HE ADDED.
ADMINISTRATION ON RELATED ISSUES IS CONTINUING,"
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