TNAG-1689-FCO40-2339-Hong-Kong-legislation-regarding-the-control-of-publications--1987 — Page 94

*87 09:53 TIB(OOU) HK GOVT

行政司

布政司醬

香港下亞庫畢道

Mr. SHUM Choi-sang, OBE, JP,

Chairman,

The Newspaper Society of Hong Kong,

P.O. Box 47,

Hong Kong.

P.2

Secretary for Administrative Services and Information

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT,

LOWER ALBERT ROAD,

HONG KONG

5 May 1987

Dear Mr. Shum,

I have been asked by the Governor to reply to your letter of 14 April. At the same time he asked me to thank you for your kind words of welcome and your good wishes.

The Government fully recognise the importance of a harmonious relationship between the Administration and the community it serves and are aware of the controversy which has been generated by the retention of the 'false news' provision in section 27 of the Public Order Ordinance.

For your part, I am sure that you will agree that Hong Kong by its very nature is a volatile place where confidence is fragile. The community is entitled to a degree of protection from irresponsible scaremongering which might be created by the publication of false news. As I am sure you realise the retained provision should not inhibit the press or anyone else from publishing news that they believe to be true. What it does is to require some effort to verify the truth of what is to be published. This is surely fully in line with the professional standards which the responsible press has always set for itself.

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