TNAG-0969-FCO40-1188-Human-rights-in-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 39

Ordinance

violated

the

Covenant on

Civil and

Political

rights

The Ordinance is made up of nine parts.

The first part is the interpretation of legal terms; the

second part is on the control of organizations; and the

third part is on the control of meetings and processions.

The remaining six parts are concerned with specific

conditions like riots, intimidation offensive weapons,

and on the 'rights' and 'duties' of the Police.

Interpretation

of termS

broad and

The following discussion will concern

mainly the first three parts. A short briefing will be

given on each part and then, it will be pointed out how

the law itself violates the spirit of individual articles

in the International Covenant on Civil and Political

Rights which U.K. has signed.

PART I (clause 2)

1

This part is concerned with the interpretation

of legal terms used in the Ordinance. Definitions of

some teras are as follow:

vague

A

Meeting' means any

means any gathering or assembly of persons oonvened or organized for any purpose; or if not previously convened or organized, at which any person assumes or attempts to assume control or leadership.

'Public meeting' means any meeting held

or to be held in a public place.

• Public place' means any place to which

for the time, being, the public or any section of the

public are entitled to have access, whether on payment

or otherwise; and in relation to any meeting, includes any place which is or will be, on the occasion and for

the purposes of such meeting, a public place.

'Public procession' means any procession

ia, to and from a public place.

A

'Public gathering' means a public meeting,

a public procession and any other meeting, gathering or

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