The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) of Hong Kong is currently conducting a public consultation on the review of the Discrimination Ordinances. The Society for Community Organization (SoCO), which has long been concerned with the rights of new immigrants from the Mainland, points out that discrimination against Mainland residents and new immigrants is becoming increasingly common. They suggest incorporating protections for new immigrants against discrimination and prohibiting acts of racial hatred, allowing new immigrants to enjoy equal opportunities alongside Hong Kong residents.
Hoping for Legal Amendments to Provide Clear Standards for the Public
SoCO community organizer Richard Tsoi Yiu-cheong pointed out yesterday that new immigrants are also Hong Kong residents. In the past two years, discrimination against new arrivals in Hong Kong has become increasingly severe, with some groups even placing newspaper advertisements and holding demonstrations. The association urges that these behaviors be included in the Discrimination Ordinances and prohibited by law.
Tsoi believes that when the Hong Kong government formulated the Discrimination Ordinances in 2008, excluding new immigrants from the Mainland from the protection of the ordinances was unnecessary. Currently, the suggestions from SoCO focus only on the discrimination new immigrants encounter in daily life; as for government policies, such as whether discrimination is involved in new immigrants' applications for public housing and access to education, that remains a separate discussion.
SoCO community organizer Sze Lai-shan believes that amending the law will not cause social division; rather, it can provide a civilized channel for those who are discriminated against to file complaints and provide a code of conduct for those who discriminate. She believes that the Hong Kong government should understand the opinions of both the general public and those who are discriminated against during the consultation process.
A survey conducted by SoCO the year before last showed that 83% of the new immigrant women interviewed had experienced discrimination. The association hopes that after the law is amended, it will provide a channel for those who are discriminated against to file complaints and also provide the public with clear standards, hoping for a positive consideration from society.
Equal Opportunities Do Not Conflict with Local Values
The day before yesterday, the Hong Kong Equal Opportunities Commission held its first public consultation meeting on the review of the Discrimination Ordinances, with over a hundred people in attendance. It is understood that some of Hong Kong's Discrimination Ordinances, including the Sex Discrimination Ordinance and the Disability Discrimination Ordinance, have been in use for nearly 20 years.
EOC Chairperson Dr. York Chow Yat-ngok pointed out that equal opportunities and local values should not conflict, but an individual should not be discriminated against because of their nationality or status as a new immigrant. "If you want to criticize, criticize their behavior, not their background." Dr. Chow reiterated that the EOC has no predetermined position on the review of the Discrimination Ordinances and will maintain an open attitude to listen to opinions from all sectors.
EOC Legal Counsel Peter Pang admitted that he understands the conflict between Hong Kong and Mainland residents is a highly controversial issue that cannot be solved by the EOC alone, but society should respect one another. He added that only inciting hatred would meet the criteria for racial vilification, which has a very high threshold; even mutual accusations on the street may not necessarily constitute vilification.
It is understood that the consultation period for the review of the Discrimination Ordinances will end on October 7, and public consultation meetings will continue to be held over the next three Saturdays.
