RESTRICTED
71371
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BE RAISED IN FEBRUARY 1988 IN THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE.
3.
IN REPLY LORD GLENARTHUR EXPLAINED THAT THE LEGISLATION CONCERNED HAD EFFECTIVELY BEEN ON THE HONG KONG STATUTE BOOK SINCE 1951 (THOUGH HARDLY EVER USED), THAT THE ONUS OF PROOF LAY CLEARLY WITH THE PROSECUTION, AND THAT ALL THE CONCERNS RAISED BY LORD MCGREGOR HAD BEEN FULLY AIRED IN A VIGOROUS LEGCO DEBATE ON 11 MARCH, FOLLOWING WHICH THE BILL HAD BEEN PASSED BY A LARGE MAJORITY. HE EXPLAINED THAT IN ANY CASE THE NEED FOR SUCH LEGISLATION LAY VERY MUCH WITHIN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT' S JUDGEMENT. WE WOULD BE MOST RELUCTANT TO QUESTION THEIR A SSESSMENT IN SUCH MATTERS.
4.
LORD MCGREGOR CONFIRMED THAT HE HAD HAD USEFUL DISCUSSIONS WITH THE GOVERNOR, SASI AND DIS, AND HAD BEEN
E NCOURAGED BY HKG STATEMENTS THAT THE OPERATION OF THE NEW LEGISLATION WOULD BE CLOSELY MONITORED. (WHICH HE HAD TAKEN TO MEAN THAT A CHANGE MIGHT STILL BE POSSIBLE.) HE FULLY UNDERSTOOD THAT H MG COULD NOT INTERFERE IN INTERNAL HONG KONG MATTERS OF THIS KIND, AND WISHED SIMPLY TO BE ASSURED THAT HMG WERE AWARE OF HIS CONCERNS. LORD GLENARTHUR GAVE THIS ASSURANCE.
5. THE MEETING, WHICH HAD BEEN AMICABLE THROUGHOUT, CONCLUDED WITH A BRIEF DISCUSSION OF THE DELEGATION'S CONCERNS ABOUT (THE ALLEGED A BSENCE OF) PRESS FREEDON IN SINGAPORE
GLENARTHUR
OCMIAN 1371
N NNN
Y YYY
MAIN
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
NEWS DEPT
PSI LORD GLENAR THEIR
"ELLENARTHER
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RESTRICTED
COPIES
HKGO
то
LONDON
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