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Fundamental Rights, Freedoms Protected in HK: Official
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has attached high importance to the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms of its people, a senior Hong Kong official said Friday.
Addressing a luncheon meeting of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors, Security Secretary Regina Ip said that the Security Bureau's prime objective was to maintain a balance between ensuring the overall security and good order of society and protecting individual rights and freedoms, particularly, the freedom of expression, the right to peaceful assembly, and the freedom of association with others.
"The freedom of thought, conscience and religion is, of course, fully protected in Hong Kong, by the Special Administrative Region (SAR) government's strict adherence to the Basic Law, our domestic law and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in force in Hong Kong," she said.
Noting that there was ample evidence that these freedoms were alive and well in Hong Kong, Ip said that since the establishment of the HKSAR, the numbers of public meetings and public processions have increased two to three times.
"They continue to grow in the first quarter of this year and the number of societies formed under the Societies Ordinance also multiplied," she said. "Since July 1, 1997, no society formed under the Societies Ordinance has had its registration canceled."
Ip stressed that the government attaches top priority to fighting crime and maintaining law in order to ensure a sound environment for business. There is little doubt that the government has achieved this objective, she said.
Hong Kong's overall crime rate in 2000, 1,137 cases per 100,000 population, is roughly at the same level as that of Singapore and lower than that in Tokyo, Toronto, London, New York and many other metropolitan cities, according to Ip.
"Also, according to a survey report recently released, businessmen in Asia find that Hong Kong is one of the safest cities in the world. According to this report, Hong Kong is the most highly rated Asian city in terms of the 'Quality, accountability and standards of police'," she said.
The official also cited other measures high up on the government's agenda in fighting crime and maintaining social order, including ensuring Hong Kong residents' freedom of travel, participating in international co-operation, and strengthening the legislative framework.
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