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Hong Kong people should know more about Basic Law

People in Hong Kong should acquaint themselves with the Basic Law as its provisions have a direct bearing to their way of life after 1997, the Convenor of the Publicity Sub-committee of the Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education, Mr Peter Lam, said today (Saturday).

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Basic Law roving exhibitions organised by the Committee, Mr Lam said the Basic Law laid down the principles for the operation of the future Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

"The Basic Law includes a preamble, 160 articles and three annexes and prescribes the relationship between the central authorities and the HKSAR as well as the HKSAR's political, social, economic and cultural systems and policies.

"As the legal basis of the future HKSAR, the Basic Law is analogous to our mini-constitution," he said.

Mr Lam said one of the work emphases of the Committee this year was the promotion of the Basic Law.

A series of publicity programmes to arouse people's interest in understanding more about the Basic Law had been planned, of which the roving exhibitions would be the curtain-raisers, he said.

"The exhibitions will tour around Hong Kong in 18 locations including large shopping complexes, housing estate shopping centres as well as government office buildings in the next three months.

"Using colourful graphics and cartoons, the exhibitions aim to give people a general understanding of the provisions of the Basic Law in a direct and interesting way," Mr Lam said.

To enable the message to reach a wider cross-section of the community, a teleline service on the Basic Law and a number of civic education-related subjects will also be launched today.

"With the generous support of the Hong Kong Telecom, the public can dial the number 187 8816 to listen to a total of four stories on the Basic Law, good citizenship and equal opportunities free of charge," he said.

Mr Lam said work on other publicity programmes to promote the Basic Law was in full swing, adding that a TV publicity film and a radio programme would be in place later in the year.