TNAG-1687-FCO40-2337-Hong-Kong-legislation-regarding-the-control-of-publications--1987 — Page 173

GRS 420

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 1027

OF 16035OZ MARCH 37

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

TOP COPY Q DIST 7

Confidential

اضة هيلين

PUBLIC ORDER (AMENDMENT) BILL

2.

PARA. 3 OF YOUR TUR 776 OF 13 MARCH 1987.

1 6 MAR 1987

Mek 23/3

A SUMMARY TRANSLATION OF AN EDITORIAL IN THE TA KUNG PAO OF 11 MARCH IS AS FOLLOWS:

·

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''IN AN EDITORIAL ON MARCH 11, TA KUNG PAO SAID THE BILL HAD GIVEN RISE TO ANXIETY IN THE LOCAL MEDIA AND URGED THE AUTHORITIES TO REVIEW THE SITUATION. ''IF THE LOCAL MEDIA FEEL THAT THE BILL WILL POSE A THREAT TO THEIR NORMAL WORK OF NEWS REPORTING, IT WILL CERTAINLY NOT BE IN THE INTERESTS OF THE COMMUNITY PRESS FREEDOM

WAS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF HK'S EXISTING SYSTEM. IT WOULD HAVE A

NEGATIVE EFFECT ON THE WHOLE COMMUNITY IF PRESS FREEDOM WAS

CURTAILED. THE PAPER SAID THE NEWS MEDIA WERE MOST WORRIED WHETHER

THE AUTHORITIES UNDERSTOOD CLEARLY THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THEIR

WORK. WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE ON WHAT CONSTITUTED AN OFFENCE

WAS THE WORRY THAT URGENTLY NEEDED A CLARIFICATION BY THE AUTHOR-

ITIES. THE PAPER SAID ANY AMENDMENT TO THE BILL SHOULD NOT

CONSTITUTE NEW RESTRICTIONS ON THE MEDIA. LAWS IN HK AFTER 1997

HAD TO BE IN KEEPING WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE BASIC LAW. MEDIA

REPRESENTATIVES IN HK WERE CURRENTLY TAKING PART IN THE DRAFTING

OF THE BASIC LAW. A BLCC WORKING GROUP HAD RECENTLY PROPOSED THAT

THE PRINCIPLE OF PRESS FREEDOM SHOULD BE CLEARLY WRITTEN IN THE

BASIC LAW AS A FUNDAMENTAL GUARANTEE.'!

3. TWO OTHER PRO-PEKING PAPERS HAVE ALSO COMMENTED ON THE PUBLIC

ORDER (AMENDMENT) BILL ON 9 AND 11 MARCH RESPECTIVELY IN THEIR

EDITORIALS. A SUMMARY TRANSLATION OF THESE ARE REPRODUCED BELOW :

**CHING PO (9 MARCH)

CHING PO SAID AN ADJOURNMENT OF THE SECOND READING OF THE

BILL WAS APPROPRIATE AS THE DEFINITION OF SOME VAGUE TERMS IN THE

PROPOSED LEGISLATION HAD YET TO BE CLARIFIED. THE PAPER SAID THE

Confidential

|BILL

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