UNHRC Report of Hong Kong: Self Censorship and Media

Submission to the United Nations Human Rights Committee on the Fourth Periodic Report by
Hong Kong under Article 40 of the International Covenanton Civil and Political Rights
(ICCPR)

Selfcensorship of the Government and Media

11. Another factor jeopardizing Hong Kong people’s right to freedom of expressionis the
selfcensorship of the government and media.

12. Since the beginning of the 1970s, the Hong Kong Government has beentrying hard to
maintain a good relationship with the Chinese Government.After the SinoBritish Joint
Declaration was signed in 1984, the Hong KongGovernment went so far at anticipate
responses of the Chinese Governmentto administrative. . As a result, the Hong Kong
Government will unreasonablyrestricted people’s right to freedom of expression in order to
maintaina good relationship with China.

13. Many commentators believe that the Hong Kong Government is not earnestlyamending
legislation because it is afraid of arousing the discontent ofChina. This was proved in
May 1995 when the Deputy Secretary of Recreationand Culture, Mr. Ting Fook Cheung, stated
in a Legco meeting that the governmenthas shelved the Comprehensive Broadcasting Bill,
which has been plannedfor a long time. They were afraid the Chinese Government would
object tothis bill.

14. In recent years, to avoid offending China, the Hong Kong Governmentwill not allow
prodemocracy dissidents who are in exile, as a result ofthe June 4th incident, to enter
Hong Kong. For example, in June 1991, eightChinese overseas students flew into Hong Kong
to attend the "2nd GeneralAssembly of the International Alliance of Federations of
Chinese Students".Although they all held valid visas issued by British Embassies,
they weredenied entry at the Hong Kong International Airport. Eventually the assemblywas
split up and held in various places. The International Commission ofJurists (Hong Kong
Branch) pointed out that the Hong Kong Government intervenedthe rights of people to seek,
to receive and to impart different kinds ofinformation and ideas and thus violate Hong
Kong people’s right to freedomof expression.6

15. Moreover, selfcensorship of the media in Hong Kong has also risen inrecent years
because the press wants to maintain a good relationship withChina.7

16. In February 1995, a survey was conducted by the Social Science ResearchCentre of the
University of Hong Kong among the journalism professions.The survey results indicate that
among all respondents, 88% agreed thatselfcensorship exists in the media of Hong Kong:
22.6% agreed that selfcensorshipoften occurs and 64.7% agreed that it occurs occasionally.
Only 4.4% ofthe respondents agree that selfcensorship has never happened.

CHAPTER 6 FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND THE RIGHT TO PEACEFUL