The Hong Kong government yesterday reiterated its commitment to safeguarding human rights after the Amnesty International said the ruling out of universal suffrage in the 2007 and 2008 elections by the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) had undermined civil rights in the SAR.

"We are deeply disappointed by the report that has painted a picture contrary to Hong Kong's respect for human rights and our established reputation as an open, inclusive and tolerant city," a government spokesman said yesterday.

"The government is firmly committed to protecting human rights that are underpinned by the rule of law, administered by an independent judiciary and form part of the Basic Law, the Bill of Rights and many other local enactments," he said.

The SAR is widely recognized as one of the most free societies in Asia, and the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong people remain as strong as they ever were before its reunification with the motherland, he said.

The spokesman said NPCSC's April 2004 decision on Hong Kong's constitutional development had clarified the scope for changes to the electoral methods in the 2007 and 2008 elections. The government would do its best to increase public participation in the electoral process and enhance the representativeness of the systems. It is planning to publish the fifth constitutional development report that outlines a mainstream proposal later this year after consulting the new CE.

"Freedom of expression is very much alive in Hong Kong," the spokesman asserted, citing the frequency of demonstrations in the city and the presence of a vocal and lively media "which continue relentlessly to exercise their role of holding the government accountable to the public".

The Paris-based Reporters Without Borders recently rated Hong Kong as having the freest press in Asia, he said.

(China Daily HK Edition May 27, 2005)