Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa met with United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson during her half-day visit to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Tuesday. Tung assured Robinson that Hong Kong was strongly committed to the protection of human rights. "Hong Kong's human rights record speaks for itself. Ours is an open and free society. Everyone is free to come and see Hong Kong for himself," Tung said.

"We have a tradition of the rule of law, an independent judiciary, and numerous channels for redress of complaints. We would never compromise on these principles. We guard these institutions very jealously, as they represent the foundations of Hong Kong's success," Tung said. The chief executive said the Basic Law entrenched the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights -- as applied to Hong Kong -- at the constitutional level.

Robinson was briefed on the current situation on human rights in Hong Kong in meeting with senior government officials, including Chief Secretary for Administration Anson Chan and Secretary for Justice Elsie Leung. Robinson also met a number of Legislative Council members and non-governmental organizations, and exchanged views on matters related to human rights. Robinson left for Beijing Tuesday evening to attend the 8th Workshop on Regional Cooperation for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Asia and Pacific Region to be held from March 1 to 3.