TNAG-1815-FCO40-2576-Hong-Kong-Public-Order-(Amendment)-Bill-1988-1988 — Page 19

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CONFIDENTIAL #

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speculate. Many of the practical arguments which led to

the provision being retained still apply: Hong Kong

remains a densely populated city where news travels fast;

newspapers continue to feed off each other; the public may

still be vulnerable to bouts of nervousness from time to

time. The legal arguments also remain essentially the same.

8.

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However, it is considered that some things have

changed over the two years since the legislation was first

gazetted.

Led by the media, the general public formed the

view - invalid though it was that the Government was

acting to restrict freedom of the press. This was

particularly unfortunate at a time when the public was

concerned over future civil and political rights.

The Government's arguments were deprived of a fair

hearing. As a result, there was some loss of credibility

which carried over into consideration of other subject

areas.

SO

Relations with the media were strained for a long

period. Hong Kong's reputation overseas also suffered

damage, to the extent that we were bracketed with Singapore

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- albeit unfairly - as a place where the Government sought

to control the press. The point was made repeatedly that

the impact was the greater because of Hong Kong's hitherto

excellent reputation as the bastion of a free press in this

part of the world. The matter was raised in November 1988

when the United Nations Human Rights Committee considered

the UK's report on Hong Kong.

CONFIDENTIAL

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