CCPR/C/58/Add.6 page 126
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designated public area. As it was, by the time the organizers intentions had been established and this possibility had been broached to the applicant for the licence, she said she had no way of contacting the participants to effect a change of venue.
74.
As the plans of the organizers of International Women's Day 1988 had been finalized before the licence they sought had been approved, and as no last-minute contact had been arranged, the police were left with two equally unpalatable choices: either (a) to refuse the licence and then have some thousands of irate would-be participants to deal with, or (b) to allow the celebration to be held despite the unsuitability of the appointed venue for the purpose.
75. In the event, it was decided that (b) was the lesser of two evils. There was no wish to provoke a confrontation and it was felt that, if the admittedly restrictive licence conditions were complied with, it would be possible, with a larger police presence than would normally have been necessary, to prevent any disorder (which in this context included any nuisance or danger to the other persons in Statue Square on that Sunday afternoon).
76. The police intervened only when it became clear to the officers on the ground that there was a danger of the public being inconvenienced to an extent where public order would break down.
Article 22
77.
On registration of trade unions, a member of the Human Rights Committee inquired whether any registration applications had been rejected in Hong Kong and, if so, why (CCPR/C/SR.857, para. 62). The answer is that no application for registration of a trade union has been turned down by the Registrar of Trade Unions.
Article 24
78.
The Hong Kong Government has recently begun a preliminary study of the draft United Nations convention on the rights of the child as it relates to current legislation in Hong Kong. When this examination is complete, the Hong Kong Government will convey its conclusions and recommendations to the British Government. This preliminary examination should be finished in advance of the adoption of the draft convention by the General Assembly.
Article 25
79. A detailed account of the current state of development towards representative government was given in the second report and supplement and was further discussed in the meeting of the Committee in November 1988. latest developments are described in the first part of this report.
Article 27
The
80. The official languages of Hong Kong are English and Chinese. It is laid down in the Official Languages Ordinance that both languages can be used for communication with the Government, and Chinese is in fact widely used by government departments when corresponding with members of the public. Major government reports and publications of public interest are now available in
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