Hong Kong has been waiting far too long for laws against racial discrimination. Now, it looks as though this much-needed form of protection against prejudice is finally on its way. It is a case of better late than never.
Last week, the government published a consultation paper which set out detailed proposals for legislation. This, in itself, is no guarantee that the laws will be passed. The public has been asked for its views on the issue before. There have been several official consultations and surveys conducted in recent years - and still no legislation.
But the content of the proposals published last week is different from that which has gone before. It suggests that the government is - at last - serious about tackling this unacceptable omission.
The consultation paper nails several myths and misperceptions which officials have in the past helped to perpetuate. It accepts that racial discrimination is a problem in Hong Kong and cites examples of different types of prejudice experienced by victims. This is simply stating the obvious, but it has not always been recognised in the past.
The document also admits that the failure to enact racism laws constitutes a breach of our city's international obligations. The legislation is required by an international convention which has applied to Hong Kong since 1969. This, too, is an important recognition.
But most significant of all is the statement that laws are needed in order to combat discrimination. This is official confirmation of a change in the government's position. In the past, it has argued that education is a sufficient means of dealing with the problem. Only three years ago, Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa said publicly that he doubted anti-racism laws offered the best solution.
