HUMAN rights is emerging as an area in which the reforming Government of Chris Patten is beset by uncertainty and indecision. It is not clear if the Government has a firm plan for the enhancement of various human rights, let alone control of the civil liberties agenda.
Take the issue of equal opportunity. Promises of legislation in this area are of small value when Government House and the Secretary for Home Affairs cannot agree on what should be covered.
With a wide-ranging Bill of Rights at its disposal, the Government is in a position to come up with a comprehensive set of proposals to ensure the rights enshrined in the Bill. Having also decided to sign the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, it should have met the legislative demands of the convention as part of the same package. Instead, it has been bumbling along without a coherent policy. The impression is of an executive which, far from leading, is fighting unco-ordinated rearguard actions on battlegrounds chosen by its opponents. Most of the effort is wasted on reining in those who should be the Government's natural allies. What leadership there has been has come from a few campaigning legislators, including the Governor's own appointees.
The Secretary for Home Affairs, Michael Suen Ming-yeung, has been hindered in his human rights work by the lack of direction from Government House. His own presentational efforts have been less than outstanding. But it is now up to the Governor to restore a sense of direction to human rights policy. Mr Patten should lead from the front, rather than leave it to his spokesman to correct Mr Suen once mistakes have been made. The public then would have a clearer idea of how much he really cares about human rights.