TNAG-1602-FCO40-2198-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Basic-Law-1987 — Page 101

the

1.2.5 According to other more specific proposals on the general

principles. the Basic Law is to state that freedom should include the following:

a) All citizens have the right to know.

Fress

capitalism,

in future

b) Hong Kong enjoys freedom of the press under

all interpretations of freedom of the press should be based on the conventions and precedents of the capitalist community of Hong Kong.

c) All news broadcasting

should enjoy freedom of

transmission of news,

officials should not be

organisations and journalists release and

coverage, reporting,

the government and government allowed to pre-censor the news.

of the

d) In order to ensure the freedom and independence

press, the government should not subsidise or bribe private press organisations.

e) Licences and deposits are

not required before a newspaper

or magazine starts publishing.

f) No one is punishable for reporting, discussing, or commenting on academic, cultural and political issues.

g) Freedom of importing and exporting publications.

h) Freedom of importing and exporting machinery used for

the press.

news

to

8.1.3 Some members of the press pointed out that even though

provisions under the Basic Law cannot be too detailed, the general principles which may be too abstract can easily be exploited by those who want to restrict freedom

of the press.

For instance. governments of some Southeast Asian countries ban the publishing of bad or unfavourable comments by forcing the newspaper close down or expelling journalists on the pretext of protecting the interests and security of their own countries. The term "state secrets", if not elaborated, can enable some immaterial regulations (such a8 those which have existed in a liberal country, e.g. Britain, for a long time) to become a tool of restricting freedom of the press. At present. there are still some countries in which unauthorised broadcasting of weather reports can result in prosecution and imprisonment. Ав a socialist country, China differs from the capitalist Hong Kong things like vocabulary, interpretation and practice.

it

of Thus.

is necessary to set down clearly what kind press freedom the HKSAR will enjoy so that members of the press will know exactly what rights they роввез8,

and

will be subject to more specific and greater protection in the operation of the press. Therefore, it was proposed that the various kinds of press freedom Hong Kong enjoys

even the rights and interests that the press wants acquire in future should be listed out by a press law

or

in

to

or

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