TNAG-2005-FCO40-2853-Hong-Kong-political-parties-1990 — Page 103

The Joint Committee on the

Promotion of Democratic Government

c/o 9th Floor,

618 Nathan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Date: 26th July 1990

The Honourable Mr. Francis Maude, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, (formerly Foreign Office Minister with

special responsibility for Hong Kong) The Government of United Kingdom.

Dear Sir,

We deeply regret that the seven democratic persons are prosecuted for using loudhailer and collecting donation in public place. Today, five of them are convicted. We raise the strongest opposition on the prosecution as it is obviously based on political. motive and seriously infringes human rights. At the same time, the drafting and introduction of the Bill of Rights undoubtedly makes a great mockery to the Hong Kong Government. In the current report submitted to the Human Rights Committee by the Hong Kong Government pursuant to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, it was alleged that human rights will be upheld and use of loudhailer will not be banned or prosecuted. Now the prosecution of seven democratic

persons for using loudhailer shows that the British and Hong Kong Government are presenting false and misleading information to the Human Rights Committee.

There are many laws in Hong Kong and in particular, the Public Order Ordinance and the Summary Offences Ordinance which are inconsisent with and infringe human rights and unreasonably surpress freedom of speech and assembly. They should be reviewed and amended at once.

We now ask you to reflect to the British Government and the Hong Kong Government the following :-

(1) To ensure that the Hong Kong Government will not infringe

human rights in the future; and;

(2)

To review and amend existing Hong Kong laws which infringe human rights.

Yours faithfully,

The Joint Committee on

the Promotion of Democratic Government