38
-
Sit-in protest outside NCNA
Following is a question by the Hon Frederick Fung Kin-kee and a reply by the acting Secretary for Security, Mr Ken Woodhouse, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
On the evening of 23 May, a political group petitioned the Xinhua News Agency (NCNA) for the release of a political dissident in China, but the police did not allow the group consisting of ten people to stage a sit-in at the entrance to NCNA. In view of this, will the Government inform this Council of:-
(a)
(b)
the number of organisations allowed to stage sit-ins at the entrance to the NCNA, as well as the number of those prohibited from doing so, in the past year; and
the criteria adopted by the police in determining whether sit-ins should be allowed to take place at the entrance to the NCNA?
Reply:
Mr President,
As regards the first part of the question, during the past twelve months, the Police have had to deal with 191 public gatherings outside NCNA. None of the organisations which took part in these gatherings were allowed to stage sit-ins at the entrance to NCNA. However, on two occasions in the past year, demonstrators acted contrary to police advice and staged sit-ins at the entrance to NCNA. After repeated police advice and warnings, the demonstrators subsequently moved away from the main entrance to less obstructive locations, where they continued their demonstrations.
As regards the second part of the question, as a general rule, the Police do not allow petitioners to stage sit-ins at the entrance to the NCNA, because they would cause obstruction and inconvenience to other members of the public.
End/Wednesday, June 14, 1995