TNAG-0969-FCO40-1188-Human-rights-in-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 54

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19th October 1980

Dear Sir:

Today at the Society for Community Organization office a press conference. was held. This was sponsored by 15 organizations whose names are listed below for the purpose of releasing the report entitled "Putting Justice and Human Rights in Focus", which has been sent to members of the United Nations Human Rights Committee on September 23, 1980. Would you be so kind as to publish it? It is as follows:

Press Release

In 1976, the United Nations officially created the International Covenant

on Civil and Poltical Rights. At the same time the UN established the

Human Rights Committee to oversee the Covenant and to make certain that

the signing countries comply with the articles of the Covenant. In 1976,

the UK signed the Covenant. Hong Kong, as its colony, is thus under the

review of the Committee. In 1978, the UK submitted its report concerning

the civil rights situation in Hong Kong. The Committee considered the re-

port and thought it not objective enough. So members of the Committee

asked people in Hong Kong through an intermediate to submit other materials

and information regarding the civil rights situation here. A group of

people concerned with social problems put together this report entitled

"Putting Justice and Human Rights in Focus," The report has been endorsed

by various social action groups in Hong Kong. The report will be sent to

members of Parliament in England and to the Governor of Hong Kong.

Summary of the Report

The report is divided into three sections. The first section describes and

documents social events which occurred in Hong Kong in recent years and it

shows how the Hong Kong government deprives its citizens of political and

civil rights. In these incidents, the government used the Public Order

Ordinance to prevent its citizens from assembling and petitioning, the means

by which they can express their problems and opinions. These incidents in-

clude the Yaumatei Boat People Case, the On Lok Chuen incident, CTV incident

and the Sai Lau Kok incident as well as the Revolutionary Marxist League in-

cident.

The second section is an analysis of the Public Order Ordinance. It gives a

detailed analytical survey of the law and shows how various articles of the law

violate the Covenant. This Ordinance gives the police almost unlimited authority

by which they can suppress public opinion and assembly rights of the citizens.