TNAG-1687-FCO40-2337-Hong-Kong-legislation-regarding-the-control-of-publications--1987 — Page 129

OCMIAN 3577

CONFIDENTIAL

OO HOKON

CONFIDENTIAL:

HKD 301/ RECEIVEC REGISTRY

2 4 MAR 1987

·FICER

TOP COPY Q DIST ?

REVISTRY

Action Taken

Mek 56/3

OB

43577

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FM FCOLN TO HOKON

INL

231600Z MAR

GRS 497

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 854

OF 23160OZ MARCH 87

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YOUR TELNO 1050: PUBLIC ORDER (AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE

1.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND MR RENTON HAVE NOW AGREED THAT MR RENTON WILL SEE AN FCC DELEGATE IF THEY DECIDE TO SEND ONE. IF A MEETING DOES TRANSPIRE WE WILL BEAR IN MIND YOUR POINTS IN PARAS 1 AND 2 OF TUR. GRATEFUL MEANWHILE IF YOU WOULD PASS THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO MR BIDDULPH, PRESIDENT, FCC, FROM THE

SECRETARY OF STATE.

BEGINS

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TELEX OF 16 MARCH ABOUT THE HONG KONG PUBLIC ORDER (AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE.

AS YOU WILL APPRECIATE, THIS IS PRIMARILY A MATTER FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. I SHOULD HOWEVER MAKE TWO POINTS. FIRST THE LEGISLATION PASSED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON 11 MARCH INCLUDED THE REPEAL OF A NUMBER OF STRINGENT PROVISIONS OF THE CONTROL OF PUBLICATIONS CONSOLIDATION ORDINANCE THAT HAD BEEN PART OF THE LAWS OF HONG KONG FOR MANY YEARS, BUT WHICH HAVE NOT PREVENTED THE HONG KONG MEDIA FROM BEING AMONG THE MOST FREE AND OUTSPOKEN IN ASIA. IN REVIEWING THIS LEGISLATION AND DECIDING UPON THESE REPEALS, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT CONSIDERED THAT IN SUCH A SMALL AND DENSELY-POPULATED PLACE AS HONG KONG, IT WAS

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CONFIDENTIAL

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