XN000022-1988-03-09 — Page 5

3

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 1988

AND HE STRESSED THAT THE BILL WAS NOT AIMED AT CORRECTING ANY DEFICIENCIES IN THE PRESENT LEGISLATION BECAUSE THE LATTER WAS IN GOOD ORDER.

"RATHER IT SERKS TO CONSTRAIN CENSORSHIP AND ALLOW THE SCREENING OF FILMS WHICH CANNOT BE APPROVED FOR VIEWING AT PRESENT," HE SAID.

"IT EXPANDS THE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN THE CENSORIAL PROCESS, THUS ENSURING THAT CENSORSHIP STANDARDS BETTER REFLECT THE COMMUNITY'S VIEWS ON WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE OR OTHERWISE.'

H

MR TSAO SAID THAT THERE WAS NO DOUBT THAT CENSORSHIP ON GROUNDS OF SEX AND VIOLENCE REFLECTED THE COMMUNITY'S EXPECTATIONS AT LARGE.

POLITICAL CENSORSHIP WAS ALSO NECESSARY FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE WELL-BEING OF THE COMMUNITY, HE SAID, WHICH WAS WHY IT HAD ALWAYS BEEN PART OF THE FILM CENSORSHIP PROCESS.

"HONG KONG MUST NOT ALLOW ITSELF TO BE USED AS A BASE FOR PROPAGATING PROPAGANDA. I BELIEVE THIS POINT IS WELL UNDERSTOOD AND ACCEPTED IN HONG KONG, HE SAID.

Fi

FILM

FOR

THE

AT THE INSTIGATION OF THE LEGCO AD HOC GROUP ON CLASSIFICATION AND CENSORSHIP, IT WAS NOW PROPOSED TO PROVIDE

THE CENSORSHIP WHERE "THERE IS A LIKELIHOOD THAT

EXHIBITION OF FILM WOULD SERIOUSLY DAMAGE GOOD RELATIONS WITH OTHER TERRITORIES".

UNDER THE BILL, THE FUTURE SYSTEM FOR FILM CLASSIFICATION

WOULD BE:

CATEGORY I

CATEGORY II

-

CATEGORY III

FOR GENERAL EXHIBITION;

APPROVED FOR EXHIBITION WITH THE CAUTION THAT IT IS NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN;

APPROVED FOR EXHIBITION ONLY TO PERSONS WHO HAVE ATTAINED THE AGE OF 18 YEARS.

MR TSAO SAID THIS NEW CLASSIFICATION WOULD ALLOW THE EXHIBITION OF FILMS WHICH MIGHT BE ENJOYED BY MATURE OR RESTRICTED AUDIENCES AND WHICH HAD HITHERTO HAD TO BE BANNED OR SEVERELY THE DETRIMENT OF THE STORY FLOW.

CUT TO

MORE

DIFFERENT

"THE PROPOSED THREE-TIER SYSTEM WILL MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR THAN ONE VERSION OF A FILM TO BR APPROVED FOR EXHIBITION TO AUDIENCES," HE SAID.

ΤΟ

WHILE IT WOULD BE AN OFFENCE TO EXHIBIT A CATEGORY III FILM A PERSON UNDER THE AGE OF 18 YEARS UNLESS ALL REASONABLE PRECAUTIONS

PREVENT ITS HAD BEEN TAKEN TO

HAPPENING, MR TSAO SAID THAT THE

OF A GOVERNMENT WAS NOT PROPOSING TO MAKE THE VIEWING FILM BY AN UNDERAGE PERSON A CRIMINAL OFFENCE.

CATEGORY

ΓΙΪ

/HOWEVER, HE