TNAG-0081-FCO40-117-Public-Order-legislation-1968 — Page 115

is not designed for dealing with emergencies. Of the

considerable amount of emergency legislation which it has in Hong Kong

Λ

been necessary to introduce since May, the only emergency

regulations which have been incorporated in the Ordinance and

are those dealing with the offences of intimidation

intimidating assembly.

Intimidation has been a powerful

weapon in the hand of the local communists in the over-

of the Colony

crowded conditio

condition The provisions to deal with it were

included after the most careful consideration and

continue to

sexists in

because, so long as communist organisations

Hong Kong there will always be a danger of intimidation.

The only other emergency legislation incorporated in the

Ordinance are the provisions dealing with the Governor's

powers to detain and control the movement of vessels

and aircraft. These provisions were taken from the

Emergency (Frincipal) Regulations, 1964.

in

Your letter states that the Ordinance was passed

twelve through the Legislative Council only days after it was

published. In fact the Bill was first published on the

6th October and completed its progress through the

Legislative Council on the 15th November. This allowed

six

nearly weeks between/publication and enactment, a

period which is considered to have allowed adeguate time

introductory

for any representations to be made. The speech of the

Attorney General, which explained the main provisions

of the Bill in some detail, has been publicised in Chinese;

and a series of articles in Chinese explaining the measures

also

in simple language is being published. These articles

will include Chinese translations of the more important

sections of the Ordinance.

n

There are two points of detail which have been

raised in the appraisal enclosed with your letter and on

/which

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