of the Ontario Court
Court of Appeal, explained developments
affecting equal opportunity and discrimination in Canada.
The concluding remarks of Professor Raymond Wacks of
the Hong Kong Law School declared the conference a success.
But perhaps the most telling contribution was made by a
participant who was absent from the conference. Professor
Gong Xiang Rui of the Faculty of Law of Beijing University in
the PRC prepared a paper on The Constitutional Protection
of Human Rights: the Chinese View. It must be inferred
that the paper did not state the official Chinese view as
Professor Gong was not permitted to attend. Nevertheless his
paper was read by the conference organiser, Mr Johannes Chan
of the Hong Kong Law School. He also read a letter which
accompanied the paper. At the close of his paper, Professor
Gong declared:
"So long as their is free election based upon public opinions, it is always possible to compel the government not to overstep the boundaries of its powers, for their is a minority who would give attention to any abuse, and to persuade the electorate to oppose those abuses. And if the government is not responsive it may be turned out. There will be no democracy if minority opinions cannot be expressed, or if people cannot meet together to discuss their opinions and their actions, or if those who think alike on any subject cannot associate for mutual support and for the propagation of their common ideas. Yet these rights are vulnerable and they are most likely to be subject to attack. Therefore the most fundamental liberty is not only of free elections but also of limitations of government powers.
The eloquent plea for the rule of law by a distinguished
Chinese legal scholar presented the conference in Hong Kong
with a ray of hope. Nevertheless, Professor Gong's absence,
and his empty chair provided a telling statement on the lack
of acceptance of diverse opinions on
diverse opinions on such subjects in the
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