European Parliament will discuss Article 23 legislation

14 November 2002

Democratic Party Chairman Martin Lee and Legislator James To met Members of the European Parliament from Nov 13 to 14 about the Basic Law Article 23 legislation proposals. Martin said that Members of the European Parliament were very concerned about the Administration's proposal and an urgent resolution on Article 23 legislation is being drafted and will be tabled and discussed in December plenary meeting of the EU Parliament.

Martin said, " Members of the European Union have given support to the Joint Declaration when it was signed and they are worried that human rights and freedoms in Hong Kong will be threatened when the Basic Law Article 23 is to be put into legislation."

We are told that European Union is very concerned about human rights and freedoms in a place and that for any new country joining European Union, the Parliament will have to scrutinize the situation of human rights and freedoms in the place first. Also, the Parliament had in the past passed resolutions on the Annual reports by the European Commission on Hong Kong in which Hong Kong's human rights, freedoms, rule of law and Article 23 issues are included.

In Brussels, Martin and James had meetings with MEP Mrs. Elly Plooij-van Gorsel, Chairman of the Delegation for relations with the People's Republic of China at European Parliament, and MEP Mr. Graham Watson, Leader of the ELDR Group and MEP Mr. John Walls Cushnahan. They also met Mr. Bo Manderup Jensen, Director General of Cabinet of the President of the European Parliament and Mr. Julian Priestley, Secretaire General of the European Parliament.

Mrs. Gorsel realised the serious implications of Art. 23 legislation on freedom of Hong Kong and is considering tabling a resolution in EU Parliament.
They also attended the EU Liberal Democrats Reform group meeting. During the meeting with the ELDR group, spokeswoman of foreign affairs of ELDR group informed members that an urgent resolution on Article 23 legislation is being drafted and will be tabled and discussed in December plenary meeting of the EU Parliament. A German ELDR member also called on all ELDR members to raise the issue in the national parliaments of respective countries. He said, " A whole range of measures must be done to stop this proposed legislation."

ELDR group is one of the eight political groups within the European Parliament, the Group of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party. The group has 53 European Parliament Members.

Martin Lee, Chairman of Democratic Party
James To, Legislator of Democratic Party