ONLY A FEW years, perhaps even a few months ago, it would have seemed inconceivable that the Government should be prepared to look seriously at the idea of legislating to outlaw racial discrimination.
After all, it was only last November that Acting Secretary for Home Affairs, Leo Kwan Wing-wah, wrote to the Post insisting racism 'is not a significant problem' in Hong Kong. And as recently as last month, there was outrage over an official survey on ethnic groups submitted to the United Nations, which totally ignored the problem of race discrimination.
But now, not only is the Government finally reviewing the need for such a law, Chief Secretary for Administration Anson Chan Fang On-sang has reportedly made it clear that she wants the issue resolved before stepping down from her post at the end of April.
That doesn't necessarily mean the administration has yet reached the point where it is ready to legislate. Opinions in Government remain sharply divided on the issue. And no sooner had the Post revealed the review last week than Secretary for Home Affairs Lam Woon-kwong insisted no funds had been allocated to conduct a review and there were no plans to consult business leaders.
But it does show how the climate of opinion has evolved, especially following recent publicity about Indian solicitor Harinder Veriah's death in a local hospital after complaining of being treated as a second-class citizen. And it will doubtless continue to evolve until government and community opinion reaches a point where it is possible to take the only socially responsible path, and outlaw discrimination not only on the grounds of race but also age, religion and sexual orientation - all of which are still allowed in Hong Kong.
Six years ago, after the pre-handover administration blocked then-legislator Anna Wu Hung-yuk's private member's bill, which sought to outlaw most forms of discrimination, councillors of all political persuasions made impassioned speeches praising her for forcing the pace on the issue and predicting there would come a time when such steps would be accepted without dissent.