The report by the Human Rights Watch paints a distorted picture of the situation in Hong Kong, said a spokesman of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government ON Sep.9.

   In response to a report on Hong Kong released Thursday by the Human Rights Watch organization in the United States, the spokesman said that Hong Kong remains one of the world's freest societies and the fact is not just commonly acknowledged in Hong Kong, but also internationally.

    Since the return of Hong Kong to the motherland, the central authorities have unswervingly upheld their commitment by letting Hong Kong people run Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy in accordance with the Basic Law, said the spokesman.

    "The doubts raised in the report about the commitment of the central authorities to implement 'One Country, Two Systems' are groundless and uncalled for," he said.

    "In Hong Kong, our freedoms of speech, of the press, of assembly, of demonstration and in many other areas are constitutionally protected by the Basic Law and supported by the rule of law upheld by an independent judiciary," the spokesman said.

    "Anyone who visits Hong Kong will be able to see for themselves that we exercise these freedoms on a daily basis. Any suspected unlawful activities that threaten our freedoms will be pursued by our law enforcement agencies vigorously," he said.

    Hong Kong has always been and remains a peaceful and safe city,with a lower crime rate than most places, including the United States, the spokesman said.

    The central government also supports the HKSAR government's efforts to safeguard the freedom of expression and of the press in accordance with the law.

    "On elections, we take great pride in our fair, open and honest elections. We will not tolerate any illegal acts that may tarnish our reputation in this respect," he said.

    "People who have been following Hong Kong's developments closely will be aware that we have taken active and prompt measures to ensure the integrity of the upcoming Legislative Council election on September 12," he said.

    "Secrecy of votes is protected by law. In response to public concern, we have increased the penalties for the offense of taking photographs inside polling stations. Any illegal activities which seek to influence the proper conduct of elections will be vigorously pursued," he said.

    On Hong Kong's constitutional development, the spokesman said that it has never been intended under "One Country, Two Systems" for the HKSAR, completely on its own, to decide on its political structure. "By constitutional design, the central authorities have the powers and responsibilities to oversee Hong Kong's constitutional development," he said.

    "Time and again, our national leaders have expressed support for the development of democracy in Hong Kong and the ultimate aimof universal suffrage. The issue at present is the pace and time for attaining this goal," he said.

    He added that "the community will continue to play an importantrole in Hong Kong's constitutional development. The Constitutional Development Task Force chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration will endeavor to find common ground and build consensus as we take forward our constitutional development process."