TNAG-2862-FCO40-4116-Article-XIX-(lobby-group-for-press-freedom)-and-Hong-Kong-Jo-1993 — Page 80

February 1993

Ms Frances D'Souza

Director Article XIX

40 Borough Migh Street

London

SE1 14

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Thank you for your letters of 20 January to Douglas Hurd and

me enclosing copies of the Article XIX report Urgent Business:

Hong Kong, Freedom of Expression and 1997. We were able to

discuss this when Emily Lau and colleagues from Legco called

on Douglas Hurd on 27 January.

We share your belief in the value to Hong Kong of a free

press. As the report indicates Hong Kong is fortunate in

enjoying a press which is surely the most free and vigourous of any in Asia. We also agree about the relationship between a free press and strengthening Hong Kong's democratic

institutions. Let me address the main recommendations of the

report in order.

The report claims that in several respects the Basic Law does

not reflect the spirit of the Joint Declaration. We made

clear at the time of the Basic Law's promulgation, that

although it does in many areas repeat word for word the

language of the Joint Declaration, there are points which we

would have wished to have seen drafted differently.

The report refers to Article 158 of the Basic Law and calls

for the "power of final interpretation of the Basic Law to be

restored to the Hong Kong Courts where the Joint Declaration

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