XN000022-1988-12-14 — Page 4

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1988

FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS THE COMMUNITY SURVIVED WITH ON THE STATUTF BOOKS, THE PRESS IN HONG KONG FLOURISHED AND CAME TO BE REGARDED AS A BASTION OF THE

FREE INTERNATIONAL NEWS ORGANISATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS BASED HERE,

THESE

LAWS

THE

CITY

PRESS WITH

MANY

MR

TSAO

NOTED.

*THROUGH

DUGHOUT THAT LONG PERIOD, THE CONTROL PROVISIONS WEGE MOST SPARINGLY AS INDEED THEY WERE ONLY EVER INTENDED TO BE NOT AT ALL SINCE 1967," HE SAID.

USED

AND

VARIOUS TIMES

AND

MAJOR

MR TSAO SAID THE ORDINANCE WAS REVIEWED AT FINALLY IN 1986 THE GOVERNMENT DECIDED THE TIME WAS RIGHT FOR A LIBERALISATION OF THE LAW,

HE SAID IT WAS DECIDED THAT ALL THE CONTROL PROVISIONS, WERE ONE,

ΤΟ BE

OF THE REPEALED AND

PROVISIONS. THE REMAINING

WERE

AND ORDINANCE

OVERHAULED

TRANSFORMED INTO AN INNOCUOUS REGISTRATION OF LOCAL NEWSPAPERS ORDINANCE.

EXCEPT

WHICH WE DIÐ NOT FEEL

MR TSAO SAID.

WE

"THERE WAS ONE CONTROL PROVISION COULD DISPENSE WITH, AT LEAST NOT IMMEDIATELY,"

WITH PUBLIC RELATED TO

THE

WHICH PROVISION

DEALT HE SAID IT WAS DECIDED THAT

AND TRANSFERRED TO THE PUBLISHING FALSE NEWS WOULD BE KEPT

WAS ORDER ORDINANCE BECAUSE THE RATIONALE FOR KEEPING IT THE DESIRE TO PRESERVE THE SECURITY OF THE COMMUNITY.

MR TSAO SAID THAT TWO DISTINCT VIEWS EMERGED WHEN, ON MARCH 11,

LEGISLATIVE

AND PASSED THE CONTROL OF 1987 THE

COUNCIL. DEBATED

AND THE PUBLIC ORDER PUBLICATIONS (CONSOLIDATION) (AMENDMENT) B11.1. (AMENDMENT) BILL OF 1986.

THAT, SINCE WE WERE HOG IN ONE LEAP

"ON THE ONE HAND WAS A GROUP WHICH SAID

WE SHOULD GO THE WHOLE REPEALING AN OUT-DATED LAW, AND ABOLISH ALL CONTROLS, HE SAID.

[

PERFECTLY

AND A

LEGITIMATE FAIR ΤΟ SAY THAT MOST OF NOT OF THE PAST OR EVEN THE

VIEW "THIS WAS A SINCERELY HELD ASPIRATION, THOUGH IT WOULD PROBABLY BE

THINKING THOSE PROPOUNDING IT WERE PRESENT, BUT OF THE FUTURE.

IN

AND THAT CONTEMPLATING

VIEW EQUALLY SINCERELY "ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE WAS ANOTHER HELD, AND JUST AS LEGITIMATE, THAT WHAT WAS PROPOSED BY GOVERNMENT THE TWO BILLS ALREADY CONSTITUTED AN ENORMOUS STEP FORWARD, IT WOULD BE PRUDENT ΤΟ PAUSE VT THAT FURTHER CHANGES," HE ADDED.

POINT BEFORE

OF

RETAINING

THE

FALSE

IN FAVOUR MR TSAO SAID THE ARGUMENTS NEWS PROVISION AT THAT TIME WERE CONSIDERABLE.

PHONG KONG