Sunday, July 09, 2006

Justice Delayed is Justice Denied: On Government Delay in Legislation against Racial Discrimination

Justice Delayed is Justice Denied
-- Joint Statement on Government Delay in Legislation against Racial Discrimination
9th July 2006
 
1.            The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) has been extended
to Hong Kong for more than 30 years. Hong Kong has the obligation to combat all forms of racial discrimination through various
means, including enactment of laws. Despite the completion of several rounds of consultation within the past decade, no law
has ever been enacted to prohibit racial discrimination by private individuals and corporations.
 
2.            Under pressure from the ethnic minority community, concern groups, service organisations, the general public, the
Legislative Council and the United Nations, the Government finally committed to legislate in June 2003, the deadline for
reporting back to the United Nations Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights on the measures taken in fulfilling this
obligation to legislate. This was in response to the Committee’s finding in May 2001 (five years ago) that "failure by HKSAR to
prohibit race discrimination in the private sector constitutes a breach of its obligations under article 2 of the [International]
Covenant [on Economic Social and Cultural Rights]."
 
3.            However, since then the Government has been delaying the enactment of the law. Most recently, in March 2006, at a
United Nations hearing on the implementation in Hong Kong of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the
Permanent Secretary of Home Affairs Bureau announced before the United Nations Human Rights Committee that the Bill for
enacting this law will be "introduced into the Legislative Council before the end of its current session", i.e. before the LegCo's
summer recess. On this undertaking, the United Nations Human Rights Committee therefore has not required a 12-month
progress report from the Hong Kong Government on this issue.
 
4.            In spite of such an undertaking made to the United Nations and the new Chief Executive's platform on defending the
value of Hong Kong on the issue of equality, the Government abruptly decided to delay the legislation yet again. The delay
this time was due to internal government resistance and pressure from some chambers of commerce. The Government now
says it aims to introduce the Bill into LegCo before the end of the year but offers no guarantee for fulfilling this promise. This
is the third time the enactment has been delayed since the Government promised to legislate three years ago.
 
5.            Ill-conceived administrative convenience and misguided business interests have again taken precedence over
equality and international obligations. The rights and welfare of ethnic minorities are again the first to be sacrificed. The
Government is bound by the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance and the constitutional requirement of non-discrimination in
the Basic Law. There is simply no way any governmental body can limit any further its obligations by delaying and tampering
with the proposed legislation. Moreover, the non-discrimination legal obligations under the new law will prevent businesses
from taking into consideration irrelevant discriminatory factors such as one's race in personnel decisions and will open up a
larger pool of talent. The exceptions on genuine occupational requirements are adequate to address any legitimate employment
concerns and anything beyond that are simply discriminatory. In any case, businesses will still have the opportunity to raise
their concerns in the legislative process which they have failed to raise in the previous rounds of consultation.
 
6.            Justice delayed is justice denied. We have been waiting for 37 years. Enough is enough! There is simply no good
reason to delay the enactment any more. It is time for the Chief Executive to honour his electoral platform[1] and for
the Hong Kong Government to honour its obligations under international human rights treaties.
 
7.            We demand the immediate introduction of the Bill to the Legislative Council and have the enactment of a meaningful
Race Discrimination Ordinance completed within a year.
 
8.            Honour our international human rights obligations. Respect Hong Kong's value of equality. Gazette and table the
Bill NOW!
 
Signatories:

Organizations:

1. Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants

2. Asian Migrant Centre

3. Asian Migrants' Coordinating Body

4. Asosiasi Tenaga Kerja Indonesia di Hong Kong

5. Association of Sri Lankans in Hong Kong

6. Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge

7. Civic Party

8. Far East Overseas Nepalese Association

9. Filipino Migrant Workers’ Union

10. Friends of Thai in Hong Kong

11. Hong Kong Catholic Commission for Labour Affairs

12. Hong Kong Centre for Spiritual Growth

13. Hong Kong Christian Service

14. Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor

15. Hong Kong Ten Percent Club

16. Hong Kong Unison Limited

17. Hong Kong University Student Union

18. International Human Rights Forum

19. JUSTICE, the Hong Kong Section of the International Commission of Jurists

20. Lingnan University Students’ Unison

21. Oxfam Hong Kong

22. Rainbow Action

23. Rainbow of Hong Kong

24. Thai Regional Alliance in Hong Kong

25. The Association for the Advancement of Feminism

26. United Filipinos in Hong Kong

27. Women Coalition of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

28. Zi Teng

Individuals:

1. Hon. Dr. Fernando Cheung Chiu Hung

2. Mr. Charles Mok

3. Mr. Cheung Kam Hung Kenneth

4. Mr. Chow Chun Chiu

5. Mr. Ho Yin Ming

6. Mr. Lok Ting Jason Chan

7. Mr. M. Tariq

8. Ms. Gladys Li, SC

9. Ms. Nancy Kaymar Stafford, Esq

10. Ms. Peggy Lee

11. Ms. Shirley Lee

12. Prof. Joseph Yu-shek Cheng

Enquires: Miss Fermi Wong Wai Fun (Executive Director, Hong Kong Unison Ltd.)

Address: Flat B, 16/F, Skyline Tower, 18 Tong Mi Road, Mongkok, Kowloon

Tel: 2789 3246 Fax: 2789 1767 E-mail: director@unison.org.hk

拖延立法等同否定公義

聯署聲明 回應政府延遲立法禁止種族歧視

2. 消除一切形式種族歧視國際公約適用於香港已有三十多年了。香港有責任以各種方式,包括立法,消除一切形式的種族歧視。過去十年來,雖然經過多輪諮詢,香港現時仍未立法禁止個人及私人機構種族歧視。

3. 政府備受少數族裔社群關注團體、服務機構、大眾市民、立法會及聯合國的壓力下,終於在二零零三年六月承諾立法,這是向「聯合國經濟社會文化權利委員會」交代履行立法責任所採取的措施的最後限期,以回應該委員會五年前,即二零零一年五月審議香港報告的結論,指香港特區政府未能禁止私人機構的種族歧視,違反了《經濟社會文化權利國際公約》第二條的義務。

4. 不過,政府一直拖延立法。最近,今年三月在聯合國有關《公民權利和政治權利國際公約》在香港的實施的聽證會中,民政事務局常任秘書長向聯合國人權事務委員會」宣佈會將條例草案於本立法年度完結前(即立法會暑期休會前)向立法會提交。由於香港政府這承諾,該委員會便在要求香港提交一個十二個月進展報告的時候沒有將此項立法的進展列入清單之中。

5. 雖然政府已向聯合國作出立法承諾,而新特首亦在參選政綱上提出維護香港在平等方面的價值,但是政府卻突然決定再次延遲立法。今次的拖延,是由於政府內部的阻力和一些商會的壓力。現在政府又承諾在年底前向立法會提交條例草案,但拒絕保證履行承諾。這是政府三年前答應立法以來三度延遲立法。

6. 欠缺周詳構想的行政權宜,以及商界偏執誤信的所謂利益,再次壓倒公平和國際責任。少數族裔的權利和福利又一次先行被犧牲。香港政府受人權法案條例基本法約朿,不能違法歧視,所以即使政府企圖為自己開拓種族歧視的空間,而去拖延及削弱現時的立法建議,也無法減免它固有的無所歧視法律責任。而且,新法例之下消除歧視的法律責任,可以防止商界在人事上考慮無關的歧視因素,例如某人的種族,從而廣攬人才,才符合商界真正的利益。而為真正職業需要而設的轄免,已足夠處理合理的僱傭顧慮,任何超出此範圍均屬歧視。無論如何,商界如在過去的幾輪諮詢中錯過提出某些意見,仍有機會在立法過程中提出其顧慮。

7. 拖延立法等同否定公義。我們已等了三十七年,太久了。再沒有任何理由拖延立法了。現正是行政長官兌現競選政綱 [2] 承諾的時候,也是香港政府履行國際人權公約義務的時候。

8. 我們強烈要求政府即時將條例草案提交立法會審議,並在一年內完成制定一仍有意義的種族歧視條例

9. 履行我們國際人權責任,尊重香港的平等價值,即時刊憲,提交草案!

聯署團體組織:

1. Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants

2. Asian Migrant Centre

3. Asian Migrants' Coordinating Body

4. Asosiasi Tenaga Kerja Indonesia di Hong Kong

5. Association of Sri Lankans in Hong Kong

6. Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge

7. Civic Party 公民黨

8. Far East Overseas Nepalese Association

9. Filipino Migrant Workers’ Union

10. Friends of Thai in Hong Kong

11. Hong Kong Catholic Commission for Labour Affairs

香港天主教勞工事務委員會

12. Hong Kong Centre for Spiritual Growth

13. Hong Kong Christian Service香港基督教服務處

14. Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor 香港人權監察

15. Hong Kong Ten Percent Club 香港十分一會

16. Hong Kong Unison Limited香港融樂會有限公司

17. Hong Kong University Student Union 香港大學學生會

18. International Human Rights Forum

19. JUSTICE, the Hong Kong Section of the International Commission of Jurists

司法 (國際司法組織香港分會)

20. Lingnan University Students’ Unison 嶺南大學學生會

21. Oxfam Hong Kong 香港樂施會

22. Rainbow Action彩虹行動

23. Rainbow of Hong Kong香港彩虹

24. Thai Regional Alliance in Hong Kong

25. The Association for the Advancement of Feminism 新婦女協進會

26. United Filipinos in Hong Kong

27. Women Coalition of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region 香港女同會

28. Zi Teng 紫藤

個人:

13. Hon. Dr. Fernando Cheung Chiu Hung 張超雄議員

14. Mr. Charles Mok

15. Mr. Cheung Kam Hung Kenneth張錦雄先生

16. Mr. Chow Chun Chiu 周振超先生

17. Mr. Ho Yin Ming 賀賢銘先生

18. Mr. Lok Ting Jason Chan

19. Mr. M. Tariq

20. Ms. Gladys Li, SC

21. Ms. Nancy Kaymar Stafford, Esq

22. Ms. Peggy Lee

23. Ms. Shirley Lee

24. Prof. Joseph Yu-shek Cheng 鄭宇碩教授

聯絡人:王惠芬女士 (總幹事,香港融樂會有限公司)

會址:九龍旺角塘尾道18 嘉禮大廈16B

電話:2789 3246 傳真:2789 1767 電郵:director@unison.org.hk

二零零六年七月九日



[1] See news report by Xin Hua Net at http://big5.xinhuanet.com/gate/big5/news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2005-06/02/content_3037068.htm dated 2nd June 2005 (uploaded at 4:21:11 p.m.).

[2] 見新華網200562報導 (下午42111秒上載): http://big5.xinhuanet.com/gate/big5/news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2005-06/02/content_3037068.htm

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