Hong Kong rights activists hope to see holes plugged in Race Discrimination Ordinance

Rights activists hope that the first comprehensive review of Hong Kong’s four anti-discrimination laws on Tuesday will eradicate discrimination based on nationality and duration of stay in the city – areas currently not protected by law.

The Equal Opportunities Commission’s (EOC) landmark report coincides with its 20th anniversary, and is also the last one under current chairman Dr York Chow Yat-ngok, who steps down on March 31.

The spotlight is on the Race Discrimination Ordinance, which is criticised for its exemptions and regarded as weaker than the other three areas – gender, disability and family status.

There has also been discussion of combining the four laws into one to offer more comprehensive protection.

Discrimination based on nationality or a person’s duration of stay is legally permitted in all situations, including education institutions and during law enforcement operations.

“We have high hopes that this report would address the shortcomings of the Race Discrimination Ordinance. Right now our definition of race discrimination is very narrow, which means a lot of people aren’t protected under the law,” said barrister Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee, who was on the committee that drafted the ordinance.