€
ARTICLE 19 and The Hong Kong Journalists Association
Ultimately freedom of expression and a free press rests upon a strongly-held value in society that such rights and freedoms are the cornerstone of democracy. These freedoms are further protected by strong constitutional guarantees, unambiguous laws, an independent judiciary and an absence of fear in a society which enables potentially restrictive practices to be openly challenged. None of these safeguards is adequately guaranteed in the arrangements for Hong Kong's handover and some are already under siege. Serious inconsistencies in the Basic Law could erode within months even the minimal guarantees which do exist. As organizations concerned with freedom of expression and of the press, we must do all we can at the local and international level to ensure an unfettered right to freedom of expression, because it is precisely when fundamental rights are threatened that the role of the press becomes crucial.
Frances D'Souza
Director, ARTICLE 19 January 1993
vi
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.