FRIDAY, JULY 1, 1994
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THE OTHER ISSUE WHICH IS OF CONSIDERABLE INTEREST AND CONCERN IN HONG KONG IS WHAT THE FAC HAD TO SAY ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS. AND THAT'S AN ISSUE OF PARTICULAR CONCERN TO US. HENCE, THE PASSAGE NOT LONG
AGC OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS ORDINANCE. WE DEPEND IN HONG KONG FOR THE PROTECTION OF OUR HUMAN RIGHTS ON THE KULF OF LAW, ON AN INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY AND ON THAT BILL OF RIGHTS ORDINANCE OF WHICH I
KNOW, JS WIDELY WELCOMED IN THE COMMUNITY. WE'VE TAKEN THE VIEW THAT WOULDN'T BE RIGHT TO SET UP AN ELABORATE ADDITIONAL PIECE INSTITUTIONAL MACHINERY IN THE SHAPE OF A HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION. TAKE THE SAME VIEW AS, I THINK, MANY OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT IF YOU HAVE A BILL OF RIGHTS, INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY AND THE RULE OF LAW, IT'S NOT NECESSARY TO DUPLICATE ALL. THOSE ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION AS WELL, IN MOST COMMUNITIES, I THINK YOU KNOW, PEOPLE EITHER HAVE A BILL OF RIGHTS OR A HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION AND VERY RARELY AND IN ONE OR TWO CASES DO THEY HAVE BOTH. BUT WE DO RECOGNISE THAT THERE ARE SPECIFIC 158LES AFFECTING HUMAN RIGHTS ON WHICH ACTION IS REQUIRED AND ON WHICH WE CAN TAKE ACTION STRAIGHT AWAY WITHOUT WAITING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION.
FIRST OF ALL, WE ACCEPT UNEQUIVOCALLY THE CASE FOR DOING MORE IN THE AREA OF SEX DISCRIMINATION. THAT'S WHY WE'VE ASKED FOR THE APPLICATION OF CEDAW TO HONG KONG. IT'S WHY WE ARE PROPOSING TO SET UP AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES COMMISSION AND IT'S WHY WE ARE PROPOSING
TU BRING FORWARD OUR OWN LEGISLATION LATER IN THE YEAR ON SEX DISCRIMINATION. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY WOULD OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO COMPARE OUR PROPOSALS ON THAT SUBJECT WITH THOSE PUT FORWARD BY ANNA WU. I THINK THAT OUR APPROACH WOULD BE REGARDED AS ACCEPTABLE AND SENSIBLE BY THE COMMUNITY BỤT THESE'RE DECISIONS WHICH THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WILL HAVE TO TAKE IN DUE COURSE.
SECONDLY,
WE'VF GOT NO DOUBT AT ALL ABOUT THE NECESSITY FOR LEGISLATING ON DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THOSE WHO HAVE SUFFERED FROM A DISABILITY. I THINK THAT EVERYONE IN HONG KONG RECOGNISES THAT ESSENTIAL AND WE SHALL BRING FORWARD LEGISLATION WITH THE HOPE THAT WE CAN HAVE IT IN PLACE IN THE EARLY PART OF 1995.
THIRDLY, WE AKE PROVIDING MORF RESOURCES FOR THE COURTS IN ORDER TO SPEED UP TRIALS AND REDUCE WAITING TIME WHICH, I KNOW, MATTERS OF CONSIDERABLE CONCERN TO EVERYONE.
ARE
/FOURTHLY, WE