Hong Kong's vanishing archives and the battle to preserve historyHONG KONG (Reuters) - For anyone digging into Hong Kong s history, the official archives might not be the place to look. The office of the chief executive, Hong Kong s leader, failed to hand over any official records at all for eight of the 20 years since it came under Chinese rule in 1997, according to the government department that manages the archives. The Security Bureau only did it for 10. Researchers say the problem is that Hong Kong, under roughly 150 years of British colonial rule and the first 20 years of Chinese rule, has never had a law regulating how government records should be kept or destroyed. As a result, the document retention that researchers see as necessary for keeping a record of the past has been somewhat spotty within Hong Kong. Under British rule, the archiving of documents in Hong Kong was also lax. In 1994 and 1995, for example, the Government House gave nothing to the archives.  But thanks to a constant flow of correspondence between the colonial government and London, Britain would have stored a copy of most official records, according to researchers. After the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997, that back-up mechanism disappeared, leading to concerns that fragments of Hong Kong s history might slip away for good.  Unlike Hong Kong, China has a set of archive laws, under which officials failing to file records can face administrative sanctions, or face charges if the case constitutes a crime.  But researchers say that for any Hong Kong-related documents kept by China, access would be difficult. Simon Chu, the former head of the Government Records Service who has been advocating for an archives law, said that prior to 1997 researchers could count on finding records in Britain, even if they were lost in Hong Kong.  After 1997, you don t have this kind of luxury,  he said.    Connie Lo, a documentary director digging into the 1967 Communist-led riots in Hong Kong, found almost nothing on the subject in the government archives. She was, however, able to find material in Britain s National Archives for her film  Vanished Archives,  which premiered in Hong Kong this year. Fears over record retention were highlighted last year when the government of former Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said it had kept no records of informal meetings with local groups over a controversial land development project.  Hong Kong s current leader, Carrie Lam, has said she places  great importance  on the integrity of government records, and that she supports passing an archives law. She said she would pursue a law after receiving a report from the Law Reform Commission, which is studying the issue. The commission, however, has been considering the issue for four years and only expects to start consultations on the subject next year.  Activists like Chu are anxious that records of sensitive information, such as government decisions during the 2014 pro-democracy street protests could be destroyed with impunity.   I m very pessimistic about that,  Chu said. One former senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, also admitted to throwing out some documents in order to protect a former top official. He declined to say what the documents contained. But he suggested the practice might be widespread in the civil service.  For some of the most sensitive issues, there would not even be a record,  he said. The Government Records Service said it received 25 reports of unauthorized destruction of records in the past six years, and disciplinary actions were taken against four officers in four cases. worldnews
hong kong vanishing archives battle preserve historyhong kong reuters for anyone digging hong kong history official archives might place look the office chief executive hong kong leader failed hand official records eight years since came chinese rule according government department manages archives the security bureau researchers say problem hong kong roughly years british colonial rule first years chinese rule never law regulating government records kept destroyed as result document retention researchers see necessary keeping record past somewhat sports within hong kong under british rule archiving documents hong kong also lax in example government house gave nothing archives but thanks constant flow correspondence colonial government london britain would stored copy official records according researchers after handover hong kong china mechanism disappeared leading concerns fragments hong kong history might slip away good unlike hong kong china set archive laws officials failing file records face administrative sanctions face charges case constitutes crime but researchers say hong documents kept china access would difficult simon chu former head government records service advocating archives law said prior researchers could count finding records britain even lost hong kong after kind luxury said ronnie lo documentary director digging riots hong kong found almost nothing subject government archives she however able find material britain national archives film vanished archives premiered hong kong year fears record retention highlighted last year government former chief executive lung said kept records informal meetings local groups controversial land development project hong kong current leader carrie lam said places great importance integrity government records supports passing archives law she said would pursue law receiving report law reform commission studying issue the commission however considering issue four years expects start consultations subject next year activists like chu anxious records sensitive information government decisions street protests could destroyed impunity i pessimistic chu said one former senior government official speaking condition anonymity also admitted throwing documents order protect former top official he declined say documents contained but suggested practice might widespread civil service for sensitive issues would even record said the government records service said received reports unauthorized destruction records past six years disciplinary actions taken four officers four cases worldnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Hong Kong's vanishing archives and the battle to preserve historyHONG KONG (Reuters) - For anyone digging into Hong Kong s history, the official archives might not be the place to look. The office of the chief executive, Hong Kong s leader, failed to hand over any official records at all for eight of the 20 years since it came under Chinese rule in 1997, according to the government department that manages the archives. The Security Bureau only did it for 10. Researchers say the problem is that Hong Kong, under roughly 150 years of British colonial rule and the first 20 years of Chinese rule, has never had a law regulating how government records should be kept or destroyed. As a result, the document retention that researchers see as necessary for keeping a record of the past has been somewhat spotty within Hong Kong. Under British rule, the archiving of documents in Hong Kong was also lax. In 1994 and 1995, for example, the Government House gave nothing to the archives.  But thanks to a constant flow of correspondence between the colonial government and London, Britain would have stored a copy of most official records, according to researchers. After the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997, that back-up mechanism disappeared, leading to concerns that fragments of Hong Kong s history might slip away for good.  Unlike Hong Kong, China has a set of archive laws, under which officials failing to file records can face administrative sanctions, or face charges if the case constitutes a crime.  But researchers say that for any Hong Kong-related documents kept by China, access would be difficult. Simon Chu, the former head of the Government Records Service who has been advocating for an archives law, said that prior to 1997 researchers could count on finding records in Britain, even if they were lost in Hong Kong.  After 1997, you don t have this kind of luxury,  he said.    Connie Lo, a documentary director digging into the 1967 Communist-led riots in Hong Kong, found almost nothing on the subject in the government archives. She was, however, able to find material in Britain s National Archives for her film  Vanished Archives,  which premiered in Hong Kong this year. Fears over record retention were highlighted last year when the government of former Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said it had kept no records of informal meetings with local groups over a controversial land development project.  Hong Kong s current leader, Carrie Lam, has said she places  great importance  on the integrity of government records, and that she supports passing an archives law. She said she would pursue a law after receiving a report from the Law Reform Commission, which is studying the issue. The commission, however, has been considering the issue for four years and only expects to start consultations on the subject next year.  Activists like Chu are anxious that records of sensitive information, such as government decisions during the 2014 pro-democracy street protests could be destroyed with impunity.   I m very pessimistic about that,  Chu said. One former senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, also admitted to throwing out some documents in order to protect a former top official. He declined to say what the documents contained. But he suggested the practice might be widespread in the civil service.  For some of the most sensitive issues, there would not even be a record,  he said. The Government Records Service said it received 25 reports of unauthorized destruction of records in the past six years, and disciplinary actions were taken against four officers in four cases. worldnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: hong kong vanishing archives battle preserve historyhong kong reuters for anyone digging hong kong history official archives might place look the office chief executive hong kong leader failed hand official records eight years since came chinese rule according government department manages archives the security bureau researchers say problem hong kong roughly years british colonial rule first years chinese rule never law regulating government records kept destroyed as result document retention researchers see necessary keeping record past somewhat sports within hong kong under british rule archiving documents hong kong also lax in example government house gave nothing archives but thanks constant flow correspondence colonial government london britain would stored copy official records according researchers after handover hong kong china mechanism disappeared leading concerns fragments hong kong history might slip away good unlike hong kong china set archive laws officials failing file records face administrative sanctions face charges case constitutes crime but researchers say hong documents kept china access would difficult simon chu former head government records service advocating archives law said prior researchers could count finding records britain even lost hong kong after kind luxury said ronnie lo documentary director digging riots hong kong found almost nothing subject government archives she however able find material britain national archives film vanished archives premiered hong kong year fears record retention highlighted last year government former chief executive lung said kept records informal meetings local groups controversial land development project hong kong current leader carrie lam said places great importance integrity government records supports passing archives law she said would pursue law receiving report law reform commission studying issue the commission however considering issue four years expects start consultations subject next year activists like chu anxious records sensitive information government decisions street protests could destroyed impunity i pessimistic chu said one former senior government official speaking condition anonymity also admitted throwing documents order protect former top official he declined say documents contained but suggested practice might widespread civil service for sensitive issues would even record said the government records service said received reports unauthorized destruction records past six years disciplinary actions taken four officers four cases worldnews