6 400
HICK 166/1 BOVEN ST
22 SEP 1966
CONFIDENTIAL
536D TOP COPY Q DIST ?
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO MMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2867
OF 040519Z SEPTEMBER 86
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, PARIS
DB.
DAYA BAY : LEGCO IN-HOUSE MEETING ON 3 SETPEMBER.
THE OUTCOME OF THE LEGCO IN-HOUSE MEETING ON 3 SEPTEMBER WAS
PROMINENTLY REPORTED BY THE MEDIA. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE MEETING WAS
LONG AND IT LASTED FOR MORE THAN FIVE HOURS.
2. A PRESS STATEMENT WAS ISSUED BY UMELCO FOLLOWING THE N-HOUSE
MEETING. IT STATED THAT THE MEETING WAS SPECIALLY CALLED TO DISCUSS
THE REPORT OF THE LEGCO FACT-FENDING DELEGATRONS. DURING THE
MEETING, MEMBERS HAD AN OPEN AND FRANK EXCHANGE OF VIEWS ON THE
REPORT AND ITS OBSERVATIONS. IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE LEGCO REPORT
SHOULD BE ACCEPTED AND THE OBSERVATIONS THEREIN SHOULD BE PUT TO THE
PARTIES CONCERNED FOR CONSIDERATION: THAT THE LEGCO MEMBERS SHOULD
REFLECT HONG KONG'S DEEP CONCERN OVER THE SAFETY ASPECT OF THE DAYA
BAY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT TO CHINA: THAT THE INVITATION BY THE CHINESE
AUTHORITIES TO THE LEGCO DELEGATIONS TO WISHT BEIJING SHOULD BE
ACCEPTED: AND THAT A SPECIAL LEGCO DEBATE SHOULD NOT BE HELD PRIOR TO
THE VISIT TO BEIJING. (THE FULL TEXT OF THE PRESS STATEMENT WILL BE
FAXED TO YOU.)
3. THE MEDHA NOTED THAT MR. MARTIN LEE AND HIS SUPPORTERS BROUGHT UP
THE DEMAND FOR A LEGCO DEBATE AT THE END OF THE IN-HOUSE MEETING. THE
MOTION WAS THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE ASKED TO NOTIFY
THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND CLP THAT THE SIGNING OF THE RELEVANT
CONTRACTS SHOULD BE DEFERRED UNTIL ALL QUESTIONS WERE CLARIFIED.
MEMBERS WERE THEN ASKED TO VOTE AND THE REQUEST FOR A LEGCO DEBATE WAS DEFEATED BY 20 VOTES TO 10. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE MEETING, MR MARTIN LEE, MR. SZETO WAH, MR. PANG CHUN-HOP AND DR. CONRAD LAM
CALLED A PRESS CONFERENCE TO EXPRESS THEIR DISAPPOINTMENT ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF THE MEETING. THEY ASKED FOR AN IMMEDIATE MEETING WITH THE GOVERNOR. IT WAS SAID THAT A MEETING BETWEEN THE GROUP AND THE GOVERNOR WAS FIXED FOR THE MORNING OF 4 SEPTEMBER. THE GROUP SAID THAT THEY WOULD PRESS THE GOVERNOR TO EXERCISE HIS DISCRETION TO CONVENE A SPECIAL LEGCO DEBATE.
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CONFIDENTIAL
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