C
PART 2
Origin and
pur pose
Ordinance
outdated
and misused
6. PUBLIC ORDER ORDINANCE
INTRODUCTION
The most controversial part of the Public
Order Ordinance concerning public meetings and processions
was amended to the present form in November 1967, after the two riots in 1966 and 1967 respectively.
The purpose of the Ordinance was expressed
quite implicitely in its introduction: To consolidate
and amend the law relating to the maintainance of public
order, the control of organizations, meetings, places.
vessels and aircrafts, unlawful assemblies and riots and
matters incidental thereto or connected therewith.
The Ordinance was amended to its present
(
form in 1967 with a background of poor relationship with
China and internal turmoil, and it seemed to justify
its existance.
More than ten years have passed and how
Hong Kong is a stable and rapidly developing area. The
control for public meetings and processions is no longer
justified.
Furthermore, as a matter of fact, the
Ordinance has been used most often against poor and
deprived sectors of society whenever they tried to express
their discontent with the present system and policies openly.
Rich people and the Government are the ones
benefited from the control as can be observed from the
cases presented in this paper.
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A study of the Ordinance will help in
understanding how the Government legitimized, through the law, its control and exploitation of the people.
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