Doatpeople after the court case indicated that, generally, the
people were reluctant to take further action (although a group
was courageous enough to organize a sit-in at a transit centre
in August 1979 after typhoon Hope).
--
The decision of the appellate court also successfully
prevents the free formation of any kind of demonstration since the
judge literally interpreted the statute any group of three or
more persons gathered together without a license may be subject to
arrest. This action would logically lead to the elimination of any
peaceful assembly, petition, demonstration, rally etc. which may,
in the least, be critical of government policy or which may seek
basic change in a system where economic and political inequalities
are a blatant reality.
Hy manipulating the legal system to serve its ends,
the government has severely curtailed dissent within the society.
One only has to read Judge Con's decision (see Appendix 5) to see
how the right to petition has been emasculated. He clearly stated
that it was unnecessary to present a petition en masse, that the
presence of a group added nothing to the weight of the petition
and that there was no urgency which would preclude the appellants
from obtaining a license in advance. The implications of this
statement were succintly outlined by the Kwun Tong Area Inquiry Service in the letter to the editor (Hong Kong Standard, May 4, 1979)
where this organization said:
By defining a citizen's inherent right to petition within these ridiculous limitations, the judge actually has
abrogated that right. Groups of people who have grievances
which they wish to bring to the attention of their
government will show their determination, strength and
unity by petitioning en masse. This certainly does
add weight to a petition for it show the authorities
that people have tolerated an intolerable situation long
⚫nough. To say that petitions should be brought to the
government by one or two persons is just another way of curtailing the basic human right to petition and
preventing the expression of dissent within our society.
- 8.
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