3. IN REPLY I SAID WE HAD ALREADY EXPLAINED OUR POLICY FULLY ON
CHUNG WAH AT THE 3 AUGUST INTERVIEW.
THE SCHOOL WAS CLOSED
AND DEREGISTERED AS A RESULT OF A VIOLENT INCIDENT WHICH
TOOK PLACE THERE LAST NOVEMBER. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT
HAD MADE IT CLEAR THAT ALTHOUGH THE SCHOOL WAS DEREGISTERED,
THEY WERE PREPARED TO CONSIDER AN APPLICATION TO OPEN A NEW
SCHOOL ON THE SAME PREMISES WITH A DIFFERENT NAME AND DIFFERENT
STAFF, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE NORMAL CRITERIA: THIS WAS AN
IMPORTANT GESTURE BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TOWARDS THE
CAUSE OF PEACEFUL EDUCATION. I POINTED OUT THAT THERE WERE
PLANSIN HAND TO OPEN 25 NEW COMMUNIST SCHOOLS IN HONG KONG:
9
M
APPLICATIONS TO OPEN NEW SCHOOLS HAD ALREADY BEEN SUBMITTED
AND WERE BEING DEALT WITH IN THE NORMAL WAY: 2 NEW SCHOOLS
HAD ALREADY BEEN REGISTERED. THIS PROVED THAT THE HONG KONG
GOVERNMENT WERE NOT AGAINST PEACEFUL EDUCATION. I SAID I
COULD NOT ACCEPT THE PROTEST BECAUSE IT WAS WITHOUT FOUNDATION
AND REITERATED THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S DESIRE TO IMPROVE
SINO/BRITISH RELATIONS. I REPEATED THAT IF AN APPLICATION WAS
MADE TO OPEN A NEW SCHOOL THERE WAS A GOOD CHANCE IT WOULD
BE ACCEPTED. BUT I EMPHASISED THAT IF, WITHOUT APPLYING TO
HAVE A NEW SCHOOL REGISTERED, AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO CONTINUE
TO RUN AN UNREGISTERED SCHOOL ON THE CHUNG WAH PREMISES,
THEN THAT WOULD BE ILLEGAL, AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT
WOULD NOT HESITATE TO APPLY THE LAW.
4.
IN THE SUBSEQUENT EXCHANGE, HSUEH SAID THAT OPENING NEW
SCHOOLS AND CLOSING A LONG-EXISTING ONE WERE TWO DIFFERENT
MATTERS AND WE WERE DOUBLE FACED IN TRYING TO COMPARE THEM.
IF WE HAD A GENUINE WISH TO EASE SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS WE
SHOULD PROVE THIS BY OUR ACTS. SINCE MAY LAST YEAR 4 OR 5
THOUSAND COMPATRIOTS HAD BEEN ARRESTED, OF WHOM SEVERAL HUNDRED
/WERE STILL