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Governor's statement
The following is a statement by the Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten today (Monday):
It is reported that the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress has now endorsed the recommendations from the Preparatory Committee to repeal certain provisions of the Bill of Rights Ordinance, the Societies (Amendment) Ordinance and the Public Order (Amendment) Ordinance.
It has been clear throughout the debate on these ill-advised proposals that those responsible for them were determined to press ahead regardless of the strong and consistently expressed view throughout the community that Hong Kong's civil liberties should not be rolled back in this way. So we should perhaps not be surprised that those applying the rubber stamp behind closed doors in Peking have, like the Preparatory Committee itself, shown themselves deaf to the almost unanimous voice of the people of Hong Kong.
There can be no illusions about the consequences of this decision. It casts doubt on the freedoms and autonomy which have been promised to Hong Kong, and the rule of law on which they are based. It will cause legal confusion and invite legal challenge. It undermines the credibility around the world of the "one country two systems" model, even before the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region comes into being.
But it is still not too late to repair at least some of this completely unnecessary damage. The Chief Executive (Designate) has promised that new legislation will be put forward in due course to replace the repealed provisions, and that this will take account of the views of the Hong Kong public as expressed through a consultation exercise. It is important this consultation be conducted openly and without political preconditions, and that the resulting legislative proposals should accurately reflect the views of the community. This should not be difficult to achieve. It is already crystal clear that what the community wants to see is the preservation of Hong Kong's current civil liberties, in line with the International Covenants, with the promises made in the Joint Declaration and enshrined in the Basic Law, and with the legitimate needs and expectations of a modern, open society.
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