TNAG-1690-FCO40-2340-Hong-Kong-legislation-regarding-the-control-of-publications--1987 — Page 39

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CONFIDENTIAL thanks THURS 1530

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FROM

PS/Lord Glenarthur

Ministe Gighar thur

DATE :

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Main men co Hum (B/Lord Glerastus)

Hong Kong Department

4 August 1987

Mr Gillmore

Mr Meyer, News Dept

7/8

HONG KONG: PUBLIC ORDER (AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE: CALL ON LORD

GLENARTHUR BY LORD MCGREGOR OF DURRIS, 3.30PM ON 6 AUGUST

A

B

C

1.

He

Lord McGregor will call on Lord Glenarthur on 6 August.

proposes to raise with the Minister the issue of the Hong Kong Public Order (Amendment) Ordinance. Lord McGregor visited Hong Kong

between 14 and 17 June with a delegation of the World Press Freedom

Committee to discuss the question with the Hong Kong Government. The background to the delegation's visit, and its outcome, is explained in Hong Kong telno 2357.

2.

I submit defensive points to make. The general background to the passage of the Public Order (Amendment) Ordinance was summarised in Mr Layden's submission of 17 March. The only new development of note has been that the Hong Kong Attorney General published on 1 May

the guidelines under which his Chambers would undertake any prosecution under the new Ordinance, making clear that such prosecutions would be undertaken only in clearly defined and exceptional circumstances. This was an exceptional measure, taken in response to continuing controversy about the legislation both in Hong Kong and in international media circles. Public comment on the issue has since largely subsided, although reports of concern in the Hong Kong media have not disappeared altogether.

3.

It is also just possible that Lord McGregor will raise the related issue of film censorship in Hong Kong. My submission of 25

March summarised the background to this problem. The Hong Kong

Government published in April a draft Film Censorship Bill to put

CONFIDENTIAL