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The Secretary for Justice, Ms Elsie Leung, said today (November 9) that it is a healthy sign of a society that controversial issues may be freely debated. It is also a good sign that those supporting the government are no longer the silent majority, and that more people are willing to stand up and speak on public issues which might not affect them personally.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the People to People International Conference - "The Promise of Asia: Hong Kong - A city in Transition", she said Hong Kong people's emphasis, during the period up to the Reunification, was on maintaining the systems formerly existed in Hong Kong.
"We are anxious to maintain these systems because we cherish the values of such systems, e.g. the rule of law, the principles of equality before the law, the presumption of innocence etc. and would jealously protect them," she said.
Ms Leung said the system safeguarding the fundamental rights and freedoms of its residents, and the executive, legislative and judicial systems are based on the provisions of the Basic Law.
She said the answer to those who asked whether Hong Kong could retain its distinctive legal system after becoming a Special Administrative Region of the PRC, is a resounding "yes".
She asked participants to see for themselves how people are enjoying the rights and freedoms promised by International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Basic Law.
Ms Leung said the fact that thousands of people claiming their right of abode did so by submitting their cases to the courts for adjudication shows people's confidence in the judiciary; and the fact that people are holding demonstrations almost every day on all issues ranging from educational and civil reforms to protection of prostitutes and right of the homosexuals shows that people are enjoying freedom of assembly and of demonstration.
She said that some people were reluctant to accept the concept of "on one country, two systems" because they had no confidence in the future of China and the future of Hong Kong. Whilst they accepted that the concept was "a creative totem of ideological pragmatism", they would have rejected the transfer of sovereignty if there were any alternatives. Therefore whenever there was the slightest perception that any right or freedom is likely to be threatened, they raise hue and cry, but often it was no more than a perception.
"It takes time for the government to convince people that their fears and perception are not justified," she said.
Echoing the theme of the conference - a city in transition, Ms Leung said Hong Kong is a city in transition and has a remarkable ability to adapt to a changing world. She concluded that the constitutional transition has come and gone and all the cornerstones of Hong Kong's way of life remain firmly in place - the rule of law, the protection of human rights, and an independent judiciary.
End/Thursday, November 9, 2000
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