Search

The article presents information about self-censorship in reference to Hong Kong, China. The case ,of Hong Kong provides an interesting example. During its last few decades as a colony Hong Kong maintained Western standards of press freedoms. Compared especially to practices throughout most of Asia, its press was enormously unrestricted. As a matter of fact, it remains relatively free by Asian standards even under Chinese authority. To be sure, for several years before Hong Kong returned to China its government did flirt with press restraint A 1987 Public order Ordinance created a new offense, applying only to newspapers. That offense, the publication of false news, also reversed the presumption of innocence and required journalists to demonstrate that they had taken reasonable measures to, verify the truth of any news item they printed. But this potentially repressive rule quickly evaporated, which demonstrated the strength of Hong Kong's traditions of free expression. The measure became known immediately as the "Press Gag Ordinance," and the resulting flood of criticism led the Legislative Council to repeal its offending press provisions. The repeal took place on January 10, 1989, making the life of the restrictions shorter than two years-and they were never enforced.

Focuses on the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) which was created to deal with corruption in Hong Kong. Representation of Asian values rather than corruption; Discontent resulting from social and economic inequities; Effectiveness of the ICAC; Function of the ICAC according to law.