TNAG-1692-FCO40-2342-Hong-Kong-legislation-regarding-the-control-of-publications--1987 — Page 27

- 16

-

and Hong Kong has much improved and hence there will be no more

necessity to retain these suppression provisions.

Why, then, is it necessary to keep this particular

We know that this section has

section in our statute book?

never been used. Why make a difference? It has been suggested

that without the former section 6 in the Control

Consolidation Ordinance, the press

of Publication

might not have behaved as

Bu t surely

responsibly as they had done so all these years.

the same argument applied with equal force to each and every

other section of the same Ordinance under repeal.

Now that SO much public attention has been drawn to

this Bill through it has been with us since 1951, we must be

careful not to kill the freedom of the

press during this very

critical period in the history of Hong Kong.

I like to think that this is not a deliberate act on

But let us hope that this

the part of this Administration.

Administration will show us that it cares and feels for the

people of Hong Kong and is willing to listen to them; it is

courageous enough to admit that it has made an unintentional

mistake in misjudging the public sentiment,

gracious enough to

withdraw support for this Bill, and confident enough that it

will continue to have the respect and confidence

it governs.

of the people