4. THE UMELCO FACT-FINDING DELEGATIONS TO EUROPE, THE UNITED STATES
AND JAPAN REMAINED TO BE THE FOCUS OF PUBLIC ATTENTION. THE MEDIA
CARRIED PROMINENT REPORTS ON THE RETURN OF THE DELEGATION TO THE
UNITED STATES AND JAPAN ON 13 AUGUST. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE
DELEGATION HAD VISITED NUMEROUS NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS AND HAD
MEETINGS WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND LOCAL RESIDENTS CONCERNED
WITH THE SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF NUCLEAR POWER. THE
LEADER OF THE DELEGATION, MR. ALLEN LEE, DESCRIBED THE TRIPS AS 'FRUITFUL' Ď IN HIS VIEW, THE TRIPS HAD OPENED NEW CHANNELS OF
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN HONG KONG AND OTHER COUNTRIES SO THAT FUTURE
EXCHANGES ON NUCLEAR POWER COULD CONTINUE. MANY NEWSPAPERS INDICATED
THAT THE UMELCO MEMBERS SEEMED TO BE TRYING TO DISTANCE THEMSELVES
FROM CONTRACT SIGNING. THEY HIGHLIGHTED THE STATEMENTS MADE BY MR
ALLEN LEE THAT THE COMPILATION OF THE FACT-FINDING REPORT HAD
NOTHING TO DO WITH CONTRACT SIGNING BY CHINA. HE NEVERTHELESS SAID
THAT THE UMELCO MEMBERS WOULD TRY TO COMPLETE THEIR REPORT AS
QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE FOR SUBMISSION TO LEGCO. HE BELIEVED THAT CHINA
WOULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT OF THE REPORT AND THE CONCERN EXPRESSED BY
THE PEOPLE IN HONG KONG. THE MEDIA ALSO NOTED THAT UMELCO
DELEGATES WERE DEPLY IMPRESSED BY THE PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAMMES
IN JAPAN AND HAD ACCORDINGLY ASKED CLP AND HKG TO DO MORE IN THIS
RESPECT. MODERATE COVERAGE WAS GIVEN TO MR. LEE YU-TAN'S REMARKS
THAT JAPAN HELD PUBLIC HEARINGS BEFORE DECIDING ON WHETHER TO
BUILD A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT.
5. ON 12 AND 13 AUGUST, MING PAO DEVOTED ITS FRONT PAGES TO STORIES RELATING TO THE HARWELL CONSULTANCY. THE PAPER REPRINTED PART OF
THE ACCIDENT ASSESSMENT PHASE REPORT AND FEW CONFIDENTIAL
MEMORANDA FROM DEMS TO SES WITH A VIEW TO HIGHLIGHTING GOVERNMENT'S
INTERNAL CONCERN OVER THE PHASE ACCIDENT ASSESSMENT REPORT. IT
NEVERTHELESS URGED THE PUBLIC TO STAY CALM AND AWAIT THE REPORT OF
THE SECOND STAGE OF THE ACCIDENT ASSESSMENT STUDY. A FURTHER STORY
ON THE LEAKED MEMORANDA AND THE ACCIDENT ASSESSMENT REPORT
SUBSEQUENTLY APPEARED IN SCMP ON 15 AUGUST. THE LEAKAGE HAD AROUSED
INTEREST IN THE CONSULTANCY AND HAD APARKLED OFF DEMANDS FROM THE
ANTI-DAYA BAY GROUPS INCLUDING SOME ELECTED LEGCO UNOFFICIALS FOR
DISCLOSURE OF THE ACCIDENT ASSESSMENT REPORT (PARA. 7 BELOW). IN
THIS CONNECTION, THE MEDIA EXTENSIVELY REPORTED THAT THE ACTING GOVERNOR SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS ALWAYS CONCERNED ABOUT LEAKS
AND THAT THE LEAKS ON THE HARWELL REPORT ONLY REFLECTED THE STU-
ATION OF SEVERAL MONTHS AGO AND NOT UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION. FS WAS
ALSO QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THE LEAK OF THE ACCIDENT ASSESSMENT
REPORT WAS UNTIMELY BECAUSE THE REPORT WAS ONLY A PRELIMINARY ONE.
THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL, IN ONE OF THE COMMENTARIES, HOWEVER
SUSPECTED THAT THE CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENT WAS DELIBERATELY LEAKED
BY THE GOVERNMENT FOR SHIRKING ITS RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE PROJECT.
-L CONFIDENTIAL
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