Immediate support from Europe for worries over Article 23 and Hong Kong's freedoms

24 November 2002

The Chairman of Democratic Party, Mr. Martin Lee summed up the trip to European Union, the United Kingdom and United Nations in Geneva, saying that there has been good and immediate support from them about Hong Kong's worries over Article 23 legislation proposed by the Hong Kong Government.

Martin said that there would be an adjournment debate over Article 23 in the House of Commons in Britain next Tuesday and an resolution over Article 23 in the European Parliament on Dec 18, 2002. He anticipated that there would be more debates on Article 23 coming in the Congress and Senate of the United States.
The Founding Chairman of Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor, Mr. Paul Harris said that the Chairman of the British Bar Association is very concerned about Article 23 and a subcommittee would be formed to study the Hong Kong Government's proposal. The subcommittee's opinion will be sent to the Hong Kong Government before the Consultation ends since the matter is very important to the human rights and freedoms in Hong Kong.

Paul added that all the people he met were surprised and shocked, in particular, at the proposals suggested in Chapter 7 of the Consultation paper in relation to proscribing Hong Kong organizations which are branches of Mainland organizations proscribed by the mainland Authority. He was confident that both British Government and people of Britain would express the concern and hope it would not be enacted in its present form.
Martin further added that human rights issues are without boundaries and international governments do concern about them and it is the first time for a U.S. president to openly make a remark about his concern over human rights in Hong Kong apart from human rights in Mainland China and Tibet. It is irresponsible of the Hong Kong Government if she is to ignore the responses from international governments concerning Article 23 and its threats to human rights and freedoms in Hong Kong.

In response to the request from Hong Kong Journalist Association for a white bill on Article 23, Martin said he is in absolute support of it because the consultation could only be meaningful when detail legislation content is given especially when we are consulting on sensitive issue as such.

Martin and James To, Legislator of Democratic Party met the chairman of the European Parliament and some of its Members, in particular, the ELDR political group (the Group of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party). They also met Mr. Chris Pattern, former Governor of Hong Kong and now the Foreign Affairs Commissioner of the European Union.

Together with Paul, they met the British Foreign Secretary, Mr. Jack Straw and the Members from the House of Lords and House of Commons. They also met the shadow foreign secretary from the Conservative Party and Liberal Democrats Party. They were given a formal hearing on Article 23 before the Foreign Affairs Select Committee of the House of Commons explaining the threats of the Article to the freedoms in Hong Kong.
In Geneva, Martin met the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. De Mello who has shown great concern over the human rights situation in Hong Kong.

Democratic Party Chairman Mr. Martin Lee
HK Human Right Monitor Founding Chairman Mr. Paul Harris
Democratic Party Legislator Mr. James To