COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS CONCLUDES CONSIDERATION OF REPORT OF HONG KONG

CESCR
25th session
30 April 2001
Morning





The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights this morning concluded its examination of the initial report of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.

A Government delegation, answering questions asked by Committee Experts on Friday, responded to issues ranging from the problem of split families to domestic violence and child suicide.

Split families, the delegation explained, typically occurred when a father left his family on the mainland for employment possibilities in Hong Kong. Calling it a serious problem, the delegation said the Government strived for family reunions at the highest rate possible under the existing infrastructure. But the Government could not cope with unlimited immigration from the mainland, even for family reunions.

Regarding domestic violence, the delegation said there had been between 1,200 and 2,000 reported cases each year for the past three years. The Social Welfare Department followed up on these cases, and the police investigated. The causes for the cases were not different from anywhere else -- ranging from family problems relating to home finances or extra-marital affairs to the personality of the perpetrator. Apart from education and publicity programmes, various initiatives had been taken by the police to strengthen their training in handling domestic violence.

Asked about housing conditions, the delegation said a long-term housing strategy was adopted in 1997-98, and the situation of housing had improved. There was a one-third drop in the number of inadequate housing households. This was achieved despite an influx of 150 immigrants to the region each day. The Government had also halved the waiting time for public housing from nine years to four-and-a-half years. That would soon drop to three years. The Government had spent HK$ 28.3 billion in the last five years on various housing initiatives. For a territory with a small tax base, 13 to 18 per cent was spent on housing issues.

The Committee will offer its conclusions and observations on the report toward the end of its three-week session, which concludes on 11 May.

When the Committee returns at 3 p.m., it will begin its consideration of the second periodic report of the Republic of Korea.

Discussion

Responding to questions posed by Committee Experts last Friday, the delegation said Hong Kong was concerned about split families. Any family separation could create short- and long-term problems. It was a serious problem. Typically, a family was established in the mainland, and the father would come to Hong Kong because of job possibilities. The Government could not cope with unlimited immigration from the mainland, even for family reunions. The Government strived for family reunions at the highest rate which the existing infrastructure could handle. Family reunion was the highest priority of Hong Kong's immigration policy.

Asked if there was an appeal process in the right of abode or housing, the delegation said anyone turned down could appeal to the immigration tribunal. A removal order could not be executed before the appellate decision. Since 1997, about 11,000 people had challenged Government immigration decisions.

Questioned about domestic violence, the delegation said in the past three years, there were between 1,200 to 2,000 reported cases a year. The Social Welfare Department followed up on these cases, and the police investigated. The causes for the cases were not different from anywhere else -- ranging from family problems relating to home finances or extra-marital affairs to the personality of the perpetrator. Apart from education and publicity programmes, various initiatives had been taken by the police to strengthen their training in handling domestic violence. Newly recruited officers and others were trained in the care for victims.

Marital rape, the delegation said, was an offense under domestic law. But concerns had been raised that the law was not laid out clearly, and there were discussions about amending the law to make it more clear.

Regarding child abuse, the delegation said reported abuse cases had increased from about 300 to 500 from 1997 to 2000. That was cause for concern. Causes included inadequate parents, children with behaviour problems, and poor marital relationships. The Government had initiated several programmes to combat the problem, especially taking efforts at prevention. There were early intervention measures. Support services in the Social Welfare Department and the Police Department were in place, as well. There was adequate legislation and penalties to further protect children.

The delegation agreed that there could be under-reporting in public statistics, but the Government was committed to publicity campaigns to encourage victims to come forward.

Asked about housing conditions, the delegation said a long-term housing strategy was adopted in 1997-98, and the situation of housing had improved. There was a one-third drop in the cases of inadequate housing households. This was achieved despite an influx of 150 immigrants to the region each day. The Government had also halved the waiting time for public housing from nine years to four-and-a-half years. That would soon drop to three years. The Government had spent HK$ 28.3 billion in the last five years on various housing initiatives. For a territory with a small tax base, 13 to 18 per cent was spent on housing issues. Hong Kong's record on housing was a good one -- bearing in mind it was a territory of only 1,000 square kilometres, it was making the most of its limited space.

Squatters were a major problem in Hong Kong, the delegation said. There were about 100,000 squatters remaining today on Government land. There were also squatters living on private land -- estimated about 120,000. The Government encouraged squatters to register on the waiting list to gain access to public rental housing. However, anyone claiming to be homeless would be accommodated with shelter. No squatters would be made homeless by squatter clearance efforts.

The delegation said that in Hong Kong, there were still many people living in shared accommodations, and sometimes these conditions were so cramped, there were considered inadequate housing. But the Government statistics did not consider them caged homes. Efforts were being made to improve the situation. The Government wanted to limit these apartments, but it had to respect the individuals' freedom of choice if they wanted to remain, even after the Government had offered public housing.

The delegation continued that rooftop dwellers constituted another problem. These were people living in illegal structures on top of private buildings. They were also encouraged to put their names on the waiting list. Publicity campaigns and promotion materials encouraged them to register.

There were about one million elderly persons in Hong Kong, and 59 per cent of them lived in public housing, the delegation said.

Seven years old was the age of criminal responsibility, the delegation said. But if the child charged was below the age of 14, the Government would have to show that the child knew what he was doing was wrong. There were, however, discussions about whether the age should be raised.

On sexual abuse, the delegation said a bill would be introduced about child pornography and child trafficking.

The delegation, speaking about child suicide, said the number of cases had dropped from 26 to 19 between 1997 and 2000. Child suicide attempts had also dropped. But the Government was not complacent. Causes ranged from unrealistic parental expectation to inadequate support structures. The Government had implemented youth support programmes, and had placed social workers in schools. At-risk children were identified, and support for those in need was provided.

In Hong Kong, self-reliance and self-betterment were treasured values, the delegation said. The Government aimed at providing an environment where people could climb the social ladder through their talents. It worked toward strengthening education and training. It wanted to encourage people to enter their chosen employment field and to achieve upward mobility in it. For the needy, there were various social policies. No student could be denied access to education because of a lack of means, and health was provided to all as well, regardless of the ability to pay. Basic services, such as housing, were already covered. At the macro-level, the Government focused on sustained economic growth to enable people to continue working. At the micro-level, the infrastructure was in place to help people become self-reliant.


The delegation said the Government would be spending HK$ 7 billion on education next year, and about HK$ 4 billion on each of housing and social welfare. It had not constructed a single poverty line, but the situation was being monitored continuously. There was no universally agreed measurement of poverty. It was subjective. It would be difficult to reach a consensus on a poverty line. Drawing a line based on income only would also not be the best indicator.

Regarding income disparity, the delegation said it existed in every society, including Hong Kong. Experience showed that other countries had problems with this. What was important was to create an atmosphere where all could benefit from economic growth. The focus was not to remove the wealth gap -- it was to provide an environment to help the poor escape poverty. The median household income for the lowest earners had increased 10 per cent in the last 10 years. The monthly income for the lowest earners increased by 33 per cent in the same time. A recent survey showed the upward mobility of Hong Kong residents was high. It showed that hard workers could benefit themselves.

Regarding HIV/AIDS, the delegation said the Government had developed strategies including prevention programmes and care for people living with HIV/AIDS. Voluntary HIV/AIDS testing and counselling was provided by the Department of Health. There was an AIDS hotline, and about 5,000 calls were received each month. About half of all reported cases were under the care of the public service. The Government would be introducing voluntary screening for all pregnant women later this year. In the Education Department, there was a policy of non-segregation for HIV-positive children. AIDS education was included in sexual education, and not only were ways to prevent transmission taught, but also taught was respect for those living with HIV/AIDS.

Asked about smoking in Hong Kong, the delegation said among the adult population, smoking was on the decline. But the younger population, particularly females, were taking up smoking as a matter of style and maturity. New legislation would be introduced soon to tighten the restrictions on teenage smoking.



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