Denmark: Member of Parliament raises Question to Foreign Minister about Article 23

On January 10th 2003, member of the Danish Parliament and spokesman of the Danish People’s Party, Mr. Peter Skaarup, raised a question to the Foreign Minister of Denmark, which requires a written answer from the minister. The English translation is as below:

Question to the Foreign Minister for a written answer (No. 20):

“In view of the restrictions on the freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of association, which the Chinese government plans to impose on the former British crown colony, what initiatives does the minister propose to take in order to ensure that the citizens of Hong Kong, which was handed over to the Chinese rulers in 1997, can continue to preserve their civil rights?”

Explanatory statement:

“The questioner refers to, among other things, the editorial in Jyllandsposten (the biggest newspaper in Denmark) on December 16th 2002, wherein it is stated that practising lawyers, labour unions in Hong Kong and the international business community in the so called administrative region, are fearful of infringements of their basic rights of freedom in regard to a law that apparently protects China’s national security. The questioner’s understanding of this is that this law’s proposal is a fundamental rupture of the so-called “one country two systems” principle, which was a prerequisite for the handing over of Hong Kong to the Chinese hegemony in 1997. In the questioner’s view it is exceedingly worrying that, among other things, the so-called “unauthorized and harmful disclosure” of governmental information, as well as military secrets and certain foreign political subjects, is liable to punishment. There is also reason to fear the banning of labour unions in the region. The infringements of the freedom of speech in Hong Kong is all the more worrying since the former crown colony serves as a hub for the major part of East Asia’s media world. To the questioner’s mind the planned legislation goes against the basic right to freedom, which every country should uphold, and which China has agreed to respect after taking over the former British crown colony. The questioner finds it important that the Danish (government) make it clear to the Chinese government that we do not find it acceptable when such explicit agreements on the freedom of expression are circumvented in this manner.”

Chinese version available at
http://www.yuanming.net/articles/200301/16723.html