TNAG-2174-FCO40-3111-Hong-Kong-Bill-of-Rights-1990 — Page 143

HONG KONG JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION

香港記者協會

Sir David Ford

Chief Secretary

Government Secretariat

Lower Albert Road,

Hong Kong

17th November, 1989.

Dear Sir David,

the

The Hong Kong Journalists Association is happy to learn that

the colony. administration plans to enact a bill of rights for We see this as something highly essential and long overdue.

One of the HKJA's primary concerns is development relating to the When the HKJA freedom of expression and freedom of the press. made a submission to the United Nations Human Rights Committee in attention to some October last year, we drew the committee's

amended ΟΙ

outdated and draconian laws which we felt should be repealed. We conveyed a similar message to the House of Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) which conducted an Hong Kong earlier this year.

Commons

inquiry on

and will soon and Recreation

We are currently studying the Television Ordinance

for be

to the Secretary making submissions Culture, Mr Augustine Chui, and the Chairman of the Authority, Sir Roger Lobo. We are encouraged that expressed concern over that ordinance to Sir Geoffrey Sir David Wilson when the two appeared before the London.

Broadcasting FAC members Howe and committee in

An area of more recent concern is the Police Force Ordinance, and warrants. The in particular the section on the issue of search HKJA is concerned about the use of that provision in the light of the two television the recent seizure of raw videotapes from

will

review the stations.

urgently We hope the government relevant provision in the ordinance, with a view to ensuring that adequate safeguards are built into the system. At the moment, the ordinance is too vague, and can therefore be abused, in this case to the detriment of the news media's right to confidentiality.

recent

which was the arrest of

We are also alarmed to learn from the Political Adviser's letter to the New China News Agency Hong Kong Branch published in the South China Morning Post that members of the April 5th Action Group was aimed at convincing the had taken authorities that Chinese

the Hong Kong government

ADDRESS: 3/F, BLK B, MERCANTILE BUILDING,

8 O'BRIEN ROAD, WANCHAL

HK

P.

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征:香港湾仔柯布連道八號铨利大厦四楼B座

TEL/5-277325 5-295691

MX/FAX: 5–277325

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Affiliated to the International Federation of Journalists

本會為國際記者聯會成員

ASSOCIATE UNIONS/1 1892 101★ Australian Journalists Association National Union of Journalists

(Great Britain & Ireland)

The Newspaper Guild (US & Canada)

New Zealand Journalists Union