With just under 365 days before the United Kingdom cedes sovereignty of Hong Kong to the People’s Republic of China, the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) and ARTICLE 19 assess the state of freedom of expression in the territory in a report published on 30 June 1996. For the first time since this collaborative effort […]
With just under 365 days before the United Kingdom cedes
sovereignty of Hong Kong to the People’s Republic of China, the
Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) and ARTICLE 19 assess
the state of freedom of expression in the territory in a report
published on 30 June 1996.
For the first time since this collaborative effort began in 1993,
the primary focus of attention is on China. According to ARTICLE
19 and HKJA, it is increasingly clear that China is dictating the
terms of the handover and is preparing to ride rough shod over
carefully agreed guarantees on freedom of expression, amongst
other fundamental rights. While the recommendations of the report
continue to urge the Hong Kong administration to speed up and
implement the agreed programme of law reform, the real threat to
freedom of expression now comes from China.
The report examines several crucial areas. These include China’s
moves to dilute the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance and scrap
six amendments to security-related broadcasting laws. These
proposals put forward by a China-appointed body, the Preliminary
Working Committee, strike a blow to freedom of expression in Hong
Kong. They were greeted with shock and dismay in many quarters,
including the Hong Kong and British governments.
Even more dramatically, the Chinese government has announced that
the elected Legislative Council will be disbanded after the
handover, and replaced with an appointed body, the Provisional
Legislature. The ARTICLE 19/HKJA report warns that with such a
handpicked legislature in place, Beijing can re-establish a
limited democracy on its own terms and roll back reforms to
colonial laws.
Within the media itself, the report documents China’s efforts to
control stories and to manipulate journalists and editors. It
also follows the inexorable rise in self-censorship within the
Hong Kong media.
ARTICLE 19’s Executive Director, Frances D’Souza, said: “Time is
running out and urgent action has to be taken. Over the past year
there have been a number of dangerous developments, and we call
on China to reaffirm its commitment to freedom of expression in
Hong Kong and its democratic institutions. We also call upon the
international community, in these precious remaining days, to
insist that freedom of expression, the cornerstone of democracy,
is upheld.”
