ROEABH
D. BILL OF RIGHTS
WHEN WILL BILL OF RIGHTS BE PUBLISHED?
Work is currently proceeding in Hong Kong on the exact form that the Bill of Rights will take. We would expect an announcement soon but I cannot prejudge the progress of that work.
ARE YOU HOLDING UP WORK BECAUSE OF CHINESE
OBJECTIONS?
The drafting of a Bill of Rights is a matter for the Hong Kong Government. The Chinese have not made any representations to us about these matters. If they wish to comment on the draft Bill once it is published for public consultation, we will of course be willing to listen to their views through the appropriate channels.
ISN'T IT WELL KNOW THAT CHINESE OBJECT TO THE BILL?
As the Joint Declaration makes clear, the two UN
Covenants on Human Rights will continue to apply to Hong Kong after 1997. There is no dispute with the Chinese on this: it is fully reflected in the
current draft of the Basic Law. Since the purpose of the Bill of Rights is to give clear effect in local law to the provisions of one of those Covenants, it is difficult to see what objections
the Chinese authorities might have.
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