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Chapter 11 Human Rights Education and Ideology
There is an urgent need for education in order to implement human rightsin Hong Kong. Mr.
Danilo Turk, member and rapporteur of the United NationsSub-Commission on the Prevention
of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities,pointed out that human rights education was
closely linked to the realizationof human rights.(1) There are two essential components to
the realizationof human rights: creating awareness of the existence and importance of
therelevant human rights standards; and the implementation of these standards.Not only
must the Government be involved in recognizing human rights, societymust also develop a
positive attitude toward and familiarity with humanrights. Without >this, the
Government's ratification of the internationalcovenants on human rights will end up as
mere ornamentation.
The concept of human rights must be embedded in our civic culture beforethe citizens can
become fully aware of it. In fact, all members of the UnitedNations have the
>responsibility to foster human rights education. Accordingto article 56 of the Charter
of the United Nations, Governments are obligedto use every means within their power to
publicize the text of the Declarationand to cause it be disseminated, displayed, read and
expounded principallyin schools and other educational institutions, without distinction
basedon the political status of countries or territories. In respect of thisarticle, the
Hong Kong Government is also obliged to promote human rightseducation at all social
levels.
However, there is a lack of human rights education in Hong Kong. Since theimplementation
of the Bill of Rights Ordinance, we have been crippled bythe absence of a Human Rights
Commission. Educational work is mainly conductedthrough the Civic Education Committee
under which a Human Rights EducationUnit was established in May, 1992. The unit took
charge of the followingactivities: to provide sponsorship for community activities
involved withhuman rights education; to produce related educational materials; to
runtelephone hot-lines on human rights and organize civic education day; toCO-produce
programs with radio stations and organize forums etc.(2) Interms of financial support, the
Government only spent approximately $370,000on sponsoring related community activities
from 1990 to 1993, whereas theRoyal Hong Kong Jockey Club donated one million dollars for
this educationalpurpose.(3) In fact, most of the human rights education activities
wereorganized by voluntary groups. The following is a list of such activities:
The Civic Education Committee's educational activities to promote humanrights do not fully
realize the state's obligation in this area; nor dothey indicate that the government has
taken more responsibility.
First of all, as to its financial commitment, the Government has shown almostno sincerity
in shouldering the expenses of human rights education. Mostof the above-listed activities
were sponsored by the Jockey Club. TheGovernmenthas only paid around 300,000 dollars for
community activities; the moneywas drawn from an overall civic education budget. The
Government thus hasnot demonstrated a clear commitment to this issue.
Although the Human Rights Unit is producing a package of kits for educationalpurpose in
secondary schools, the issue of human rights has not been adoptedas a subject in the
formal curriculum. Schools can ignore it freely. Moreover,the Government has yet to devise
relevant training courses for teachersand educational administrators, whose ineptitude in
this area has resultedin difficulties between voluntary groups and schools when attempts
havebeen made to bring human rights activities on to the campus.
Young people are not the only ones who need to know about human rights.The ordinary
citizen and all civil servants should also be familiar withsuch concepts. After the
implementation of the Bill of Rights, and the featuringof controversial incidents
involving human rights on television and radioprograms, citizens are more aware of human
rights issues. However, theirunderstanding of human rights may not be correct or clear.
Therefore, itis of prime importance that the mass media be used as a channel to
promulgatea profound and universal understanding of human rights. This kind of
publiceducation has yet to be realized.
One year into the first year of the implementation of the Bill of Rights,many
administrative officers and the disciplined forces have expressed theirworries about the
Bill's influence on their efficiency and have expressedfear that their powers might be
curtailed. This mentality has reflectedtheir reservations about human rights values. In
fact, human rights andlaw enforcement do not contradict each other. It is only that law
enforcershave been accustomed to have immense power at their disposal. Therefore,education
in human rights among civil servants, especially the disciplinedforces is essential. The
Legal Department has informed the Legislative Councilthat training courses and seminars
have been arranged for the Police Departmentand the Immigration Department.(4) Such steps
have confirmed the Government'srecognition of the importance of human rights education.
This kind of workmust be continued. However, the Government should also invite
reputablelegal professionals and scholars to educate civil servants. The Legal
Departmentshould not be the only source of information. Only in this way will thecivil
service develop an objective perception of human rights.
It is true that human rights are discussed popularly these days. However,public opinion
expressed through the mass media still indicates publicmisconceptionsabout human rights,
especially on controversial issues such as the powerof the police, freedom of speech,
social order, patients' right (especiallythose of the mentally retarded), problems of
Vietnamese boat-people andexpatriates etc. The public has shown hesitation and ignorance
in assessingthese matters. They often feel that social order or the rights of
differentsocial groups can never be compromised. Their opinions evidence their
ignoranceabout international standards of human rights. Consequently, when
conflictsbetween human rights and social security or public interest arise,
theirassessments will be skewed. Their judgments often disregard minority groupson the
fringes of society.
Last year saw an especially serious development of such conflicts. Theinstallationof
rehabilitation centers for the mentally retarded in public and privateestates has met with
fierce denunciation from residents arising from theirmisconceptions and discriminatory
attitudes. Such events show the lack ofcommunity education and point to the urgency of
human rights education.
The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups and the University of Hong Kongcarried out a
public opinion inquiry from the end of 1992 to the beginningof 1993 on the attitudes and
understanding of human rights of youth. Theresult showed a general lack of knowledge in
such matters. On average, outof ten questions on human rights and the Bill of Rights, only
six were answeredcorrectly. The answers often revealed a misunderstanding of the contentof
the Bill of Rights. When confronted with a conflict between social orderand human rights,
they often found it difficult to make a choice. Most youngpeople interviewed could not
arrive at a balanced opinion between the conceptsto "maintain social order" and
to "rather tolerate, neverfabricate". Some of them even suggested that the
police should exercisetheir power to check on impoverished-looking people. On the other
hand,some objected to police violence in forcing suspects to confess.(5)
It is fortunate that some of the basic human rights concepts were recognizedby the
respondents. For example, when asked how to deal with political factorsrestricting human
rights, they all considered individual rights as moreimportant. This reflected their
understanding that the citizen's libertyand rights should not be influenced or restricted
by political conditions.Moreover, they believe that the right to privacy should be
protected. Forexample they objected to police interception of mail, even for
investigativepurpose.
Youth, ordinary citizens, and civil servants should all have available tothem various
mechanisms to learn about human rights and human rights, sothat they can make a balanced
value judgment about personal rights and thepublic interest. In addition to the activities
and training courses organizedby voluntary groups, the Government should undertake to
provide more resourcesfor human rights education, in order to cultivate and establish a
cultureof understanding and appreciation for human rights.
Notes
1. "Teaching of human rights through the training of Law enforcementpersonnel,
lawyers and judges and consideration of the question: internationalstandards v. actual
institutional practice" by Mr. Danilo Turk (Professorof International Law, Institute
on International Law and InternationalOrganizations,Ljubljana University, Yugoslavia;
member and Rapporteur of the United NationsSub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination
and Protection of Minorities)in the Teaching of Human Rights: Report of an International
Seminar, Geneva5-9 December, 1988, United Nations.
2. Documents submitted to Legislative Council by the Constitutional AffairsBranch,
February 1993.
3. Minutes of Legislative Council, 8 July 1992.
4. same as (2)
5. Survey Report on Youth and Human Rights, Hong Kong Federation of YouthGroups, March
1993.
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