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382
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
You can, if you will, call my words today a "Declaration of Rights for Hong Kong Citizens". And by "citizens" I mean every person who has lived in Hong Kong long enough to have an Identity Card, every person whose permanent home is Hong Kong. I am not superstitious, so I have 13 points. It only happened like that. These 13 points, don't worry, are going to be very short. They could be expanded, but I don't think it is necessary because everybody knows the rest of the story I want to summarize.
The first right which I want to declare is:
The Hong Kong Government must grant open trial to everyone, with both the right and the means to be legally represented, whether such trial be in the criminal or in the civil court. This includes those at present classed as "aliens", but who are citizens by virtue of their living in Hong Kong. Secret trials must cease. This also includes privileged civil servants who at present enjoy a new kind of "extra-territorial rights", in cases where malpractices exist. Open trial must be used as a deterrent to malpractices, and at the same time, to protect the innocent, both civil servants and others, from injustice, as well as to protect the public from the corruption of civil servants.
The second point. The Hong Kong Government must free the Judiciary in fact as well as in theory. Interference of any kind by the Establishment and by the Police must cease.
The third point. The Hong Kong Government must set up machinery for the investigation of injustices, an independent body of Ombudsman type, free from control by any Government servant.
No. 4. Our citizens must be granted some legal means whereby they may forswear active membership of Triad Societies, which under present laws are able to blackmail respectable citizens.
No. 5. The Government must come out openly in the fight against drug traffic, and stop the large-scale import of opium and other drugs. The Government must expose crime, and not, as at present, allow scapegoats and addict-victims to bear the brunt of the punishment.
No. 6. The Hong Kong Government must make immediate plans for the free and compulsory education of all children of primary school age, and as soon as possible, for all children up to the age of 15, as is done in civilized countries. This fundamental right must not be denied (as it is being denied) to tens of thousands of Hong Kong children, in order to increase the wealth and privileges of the few.
No. 7. The Hong Kong Government must look ahead and provide specialized training for our future citizens who will take part in future development. Part-time schools or evening schools must be set up with facilities and machinery for technical, commercial, and industrial training.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
383
No. 8. The Government of Hong Kong must regard all permanent inhabitants of Hong Kong as citizens, with citizen rights, by respecting the language of over 90% majority, which should be introduced either as the official language or as equal with English. Chinese must be taught in schools as a first language, except in those schools intended for students whose mother tongue is English or some other language.
No. 9. The Hong Kong Government must deal with the wide discrepancies between Government-supported schools and private schools, so that all children may have equal chances, and all teachers may be equally treated.
No. 10. The Government must abolish all anomalies, and grant equal opportunities and equal pay to all, without regard to colour, nationality, religion, or sex. Qualifications and experience must be the basis of all promotion.
No. 11. The Hong Kong Government must take steps to give the Hong Kong workers reasonable hours of work without reduction of pay, and all recognized holidays with pay. They must stop the vicious practice of employers engaging regular workers on a daily basis, which is contrary to human rights.
No. 12. The Government must make proper plans for the development of the New Territories at an early date; they should also make proper plans to provide a transport system there which is not clogged by existing, unfair franchises granted in colonial fashion on a laissez-faire basis, thus strangling economic development.
No. 13. The Hong Kong Government should stop compromising actions and biased propaganda in political affairs, and should seek peaceful relations with all our neighbours, so that Hong Kong may become the neutral Switzerland of the Far East, a centre for banking, commerce, trade, industry and tourism.
In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, in a Colony governed by a nation that regards itself as the Mother of Democracy, the seat of justice, it should not be necessary to mention the things I have said today. That they need to be said is a shame and a disgrace to the name of Britain. A Government that seeks justice and truth need not fear the anger of the people; in a well-run community no one seeks political changes. But a Government that ignores common human rights, and goes on blindly compromising crime because of personal or business relationships, which closes its ears to the cries of those who suffer injustice, is certain to find that the tide of opposition grows greater and greater. Social discontent is not caused by people, but by bad government. Social contentment comes not through people but through good government. Thousands of years of history prove what I say.
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279
Page 205 of 279
382
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
You can, if you will, call my words today a "Declaration of Rights for Hong Kong Citizens". And by "citizens" I mean every person who has lived in Hong Kong long enough to have an Identity Card, every person whose permanent home is Hong Kong. I am not super- stitious, so I have 13 points. It only happened like that. These 13 points, don't worry, are going to be very short. They could be expanded, but I don't think it is necessary because everybody knows the rest of the story I want to summarize. The first right which I want to declare is:
The Hong Kong Government must grant open trial to every- one,
with both the right and the means to be legally represented, whether such trial be in the criminal or in the civil court. This includes those at present classed as "aliens", but who are citizens by virtue of their living in Hong Kong. Secret trials must cease. This also includes privileged civil servants who at present enjoy a new kind of "extra-territorial rights", in cases where malpractices exist. Open trial must be used as a deterrent to malpractices, and at the same time, to protect the innocent, both civil servants and others, from injustice, as well as to protect the public from the corruption of civil servants.
The second point. The Hong Kong Government must free the Judiciary in fact as well as in theory. Interference of any kind by the Establishment and by the Police must cease.
The third point. The Hong Kong Government must set up machinery for the investigation of injustices, an independent body of Ombudsman type, free from control by any Government servant.
No. 4. Our citizens must be granted some legal means whereby they may forswear active membership of Triad Societies, which under present laws are able to blackmail respectable citizens.
No. 5. The Government must come out openly in the fight against drug traffic, and stop the large-scale import of opium and other drugs. The Government must expose crime, and not, as at present, allow scapegoats and addiot-victims to bear the brunt of the punishment.
No. 6. The Hong Kong Government must make immediate plans for the free and compulsory education of all children of primary school age, and as soon as possible, for all children up to the age of 15, as is done in civilized countries. This fundamental right must not be denied (as it is being denied) to tens of thousands of Hong Kong children, in order to increase the wealth and privileges of the few.
No. 7. The Hong Kong Government must look ahead and provide specialized training for our future citizens who will take part in future development. Part-time schools or evening schools must be set up with facilities and machinery for technical, commercial, and industrial training.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
383
No. 8. The Government of Hong Kong must regard all permanent inhabitants of Hong Kong as citizens, with citizen rights, by respecting the language of over 90% majority, which should be introduced either as the official language or as equal with English. Chinese must be taught in schools as a first language, except in those schools intended for students whose mother tongue is English or some other language.
No. 9. The Hong Kong Government must deal with the wide dis- crepancies between Government-supported schools and private schools, so that all children may have equal chances, and all teachers may be equally treated.
No. 10. The Government must abolish all anomalies, and grant equal opportunities and equal pay to all, without regard to colour, nationality, religion, or sex. Qualifications and experience must be the basis of all promotion.
No. 11. The Hong Kong Government must take steps to give the Hong Kong workers reasonable hours of work without reduction of pay, and all recognized holidays with pay. They must stop the vicious practice of employers engaging regular workers on a daily basis, which is contrary to human rights.
No. 12. The Government must make proper plans for the develop- ment of the New Territories at an early date; they should also make proper plans to provide a transport system there which is not clogged by existing, unfair franchises granted in colonial fashion on a laissez- faire basis, thus strangling economic development.
No. 13. The Hong Kong Government should stop compromizing actions and biased propaganda in political affairs, and should seek peaceful relations with all our neighbours, so that Hong Kong may become the neutral Switzerland of the Far East, a centre for banking, commerce, trade, industry and tourism.
In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, in a Colony governed by a nation that regards itself as the Mother of Democracy, the seat of justice, it should not be necessary to mention the things I have said today. That they need to be said is a shame and a disgrace to the name of Britain. A Government that seeks justice and truth need not fear the anger of the people; in a well-run community no one seeks political changes. But a Government that ignores common human rights, and goes on blindly compromizing crime because of personal or business relationships, which closes its ears to the cries of those who suffer injustice, is certain to find that the tide of opposition grows greater and greater. Social discontent is not caused by people, but by bad government. Social contentment comes not through people but through good government. Thousands of years of history prove what I say.
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