CONFIDENTIAL
Q DIST ?
156011 MDHIAN 0499
HELLD 301|1.
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
TELNO 137
OF 041200Z MARCH 88
INFO IMMEDIATE FCO
INFO PRIORITY HKGO'S NEW YORK, WASHINGTON, BRUSSELS, GENEVA
INFO PRIORITY
UKMIS GENEVA
INFO SAVING SAN FRANCISCO
HKG/GT/162
FILM CENSORSHIP BILL 1988
SUMMARY
THIS GUIDANCE TELEGRAM DESCRIBES RECENT DEVELOPMENT CONCERNING THE
FILM CENSORSHIP BILL 1988 AND PROVIDES A BRIEF ON POINTS TO MAKE IN
RESPONSE TO ANY QUERIES ON THE BILL WHICH MAY BE FORTHCOMING.
BACKGROUND
2. FOR BACKGROUND ON THE FILM CENSORSHIP BILL, PLEASE REFER TO OUR TELNO 369 OF 5 MAY 1987 AND THE ACCOMPANYING FAX 244 OF THE SAME DATE, AND HKG/GT/153 OF 4 JUNE 1987.
3. FOLLOWING THE PUBLICATION ON 3 APRIL 1987 OF A DRAFT FILM CENSORSHIP BILL FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION AND COMMENT A REVISED DRAFT WAS, WITH THE APPROVAL OF EXCO, PUBLISHED ON 6 NOVEMBER 1987 FOR FURTHER COMMENT FOR A PERIOD OF 4 WEEKS. FOLLOWING THIS SECOND PERIOD
OF CONSULTATION FURTHER REFINEMENTS WERE MADE AND ON 1 MARCH 1988
EXCO ADVISED AND THE GOVERNOR ORDERED THAT THE FILM CENSORSHIP
BILL 1988 SHOULD BE INTRODUCED INTO LEGCO. THE BILL WAS PUBLISHED
IN THE GAZETTE ON 4 MARCH AND WILL BE INTRODUCED INTO LEGCO ON 9
MARCH 1988. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT ITS INTRODUCTION WILL GENERATE CONSIDERABLE INTEREST AND DEBATE, PARTICULARLY
PARTICULARLY IN RELATION TO THE
PROPOSED FORMULATION FOR THE CENSORSHIP OF FILMS ON 'POLITICAL'
GROUNDS.
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS SINCE THE APRIL PUBLICATION
3. THE BILL RETAINS THE CRITERIA FOR CENSORSHIP ON GROUNDS OF SEX, VIOLENCE, RACIAL DISCRIMINATION ETC. THE FORMULATION FOR POLITICAL CENSORSHIP HOWEVER HAS BEEN REFINED TO ALLOW FOR CENSORSHIP WHERE
'THERE IS A LIKELIHOOD THAT THE EXHIBITION OF THE FILM WOULD (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) SERIOUSLY DAMAGE GOOD RELATIONS WITH OTHER TERRITORIES'. THIS NARROWS THE PRESENT CRITERION WHICH ALLOWS FILMS
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CONFIDENTIAL
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