Illustration by former EOC youth programme mentor Tina Ko
中文版

  1. The EOC Issues Statement on District Court Ruling on Race Discrimination in Police Activities

Race Discrimination OrdinanceOn 31 May 2016, the EOC issued a statement in response to the District Court judgment, handed down on 30 May 2016, in the case of Singh Arjun (by his next friend Singh Anita Guruprit) v Secretary for Justice & Hung Kai Kam (DCEO 9/2011). The Court dismissed the Plaintiff’s claim that, on the ground of his race, certain police officers had failed to provide him with a service to protect and assist him in a like manner as would be provided to other members of the public. The EOC’s participation in this case was to act as amicus curiae, to provide independent submissions on the extent to which police activities (including the response to and investigation of a request for assistance, arrests, as well as the treatment of an arrested person in custody) can constitute “services” within the meaning of ss.3 and 27 of the Race Discrimination Ordinance (RDO). As the RDO currently does not expressly provide that it is unlawful for the Government to discriminate “in the performance of its functions or the exercise of its powers”, the EOC believes that this case raises an important question on the law’s scope of protection and can set an important legal precedent.

This case clearly highlights that the current protections from discrimination under the RDO are insufficient and should be strengthened. In practical terms, there may be gaps in protection relating to Government functions and powers, where they are not considered to be a service. Furthermore, the provisions of the RDO are inconsistent with the provisions in the other three existing anti-discrimination ordinances, which provide express coverage of Government functions and powers. Accordingly, the EOC has made recommendations to the Government, as stated in the submissions of the Discrimination Law Review (DLR) published in March 2016, to amend the Race Discrimination Ordinance by providing that it is unlawful for the Government to discriminate in performing its functions or exercising its powers (Recommendation 6). The EOC, once again, calls on the Government to seriously consider the recommendations put forth by the Commission in the DLR, and implement the legislative reforms as soon as possible.

Read the full statement
See the EOC’s DLR Submissions to the Government

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  1. The EOC Launches the 20th Anniversary Multimedia Competition

EOC 20th Anniversary – Equal Opportunities Multimedia CompetitionSince our establishment in 1996, the EOC has been implementing the anti-discrimination laws and striving to promote equal opportunities and eliminate discrimination on different grounds. To commemorate this special occasion, we invite members of the public to participate in our “Equal Opportunities Multimedia Competition”, and share with us views about equal opportunities, social inclusion and cultural diversity through different platforms with the theme “Past and Future: Advancing Equal Opportunities in Hong Kong”. There are three competition formats – short video, photo and poster – with great prizes available in each category. The deadline for submissions for all three formats is 12 October 2016.

More details on the competition and entry form
About the EOC’s 20th anniversary

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  1. Tune in to CULTURAL DIMSUM: Community Radio Programme under CIBS-RTHK

EOC Participates in production of “Cultural Dimsum”Cultural Dimsum is a community radio show under the Community Involvement Broadcasting Service (CIBS) on RTHK. The programme, produced by Teacup Productions, aims to promote social and cultural understanding about India and Indians in Hong Kong and be a platform for cultural exchange through a series of discourses, creative audio-performance of drama, stories, music and talk shows. Building on the grounds that both India and China are ancient civilisations with a tremendous amount of history and culture, Cultural Dimsum celebrates diversity and unity through common cultural themes. The programme is primarily conducted in English but is embedded with the distinct sounds and flavours of Asia.

Staff from the EOC’s Ethnic Minorities Unit also collaborated on the programme, by recording 13 short announcements on the anti-discrimination ordinances in English and Cantonese. The announcements will be inserted into the 1-hour weekly show starting from July 2016. Tune in every Sunday from 8 to 9pm to DAB31, RTHK to learn more!

Listen to past episodes
More about Cultural Dim Sum show

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  1. The Government Launches New API to Encourage Inclusion and Non-Discrimination of LGBTI Community

Government API on Inclusion of LGBTI IndividualsThe Hong Kong SAR Government has recently released an Announcement of Public Interest (API) video clip to promote the inclusion of people of different sexual orientations and gender identities. The clip features three members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) communities in the employment, education, and service provision settings, as well as in leisure activities and interpersonal interactions. The API stresses that individuals with different sexual orientations and transgender persons have talents and strengths like all others, and they should not be discriminated against.

Meanwhile, tune in to the EOC YouTube channel to watch other APIs on the anti-discrimination ordinances and other video clips from the EOC.

Watch the Government’s API
The EOC’s YouTube Channel

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Visit our website or download the EOC mobile app to stay updated on the EOC’s work and positions, and to review our press releases, speeches, media interviews, and calendar training. Also, stay tuned on other equal opportunities issues and community initiatives by visiting our community resources and community events pages for information from our community partners, including publications, survey reports, publicity campaigns, and upcoming conferences.