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RELATING TO THE PROJECT WOULD WORK TO THE INTEREST OF HONG KONG CONSUMERS. IN THIS CONNECTION, IT WAS REPORTED THAT TWO LEGCO UNOFFICIALS, MISS MAR HA TAM AND DR. DANIEL TSE, HAD EXPRESSED THE VIEW THAT THE PUBLIC SHOULD RE REASSURED THAT THE PURCHASE OF
ELECTRICITY FROM DAYA BAY WOULD BE IN THEIR INTEREST. ACCORDINGLY THE FUTURE ELECTRICITY PRICE SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO THE CONTROL AND
MONITORING BY THE UMELCO PANEL ON PUBLIC UTILITIES.
6.
AS REFLECTED IN THE DISTRICT OFFICERS' WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORTS (PARA. 10 BELOW), THERE WAS DECLINING PUBLIC INTEREST IN DAYA BAY NOTWITHSTANDING CONTINUING MEDIA COVERAGE ON RELATED
DEVELOPMENTS. IT SEEMED THAT MOPE AND MORE PEOPLE HERE BEGAN TO
ACCEPT THE DAYA BAY PROJECT WAS A FAIT ACCOMPLY AFTER THE MAIN
CONTRACTS HAD BEEN SIGNED. THEY TOOK THE VIEW THAT IT SERVED NO
USEFUL PURPOSE IN CONTINUING ANY CAMPAIGN TO CALL FOR SHELVING
OR DELAYING OF THE PROJECT. THIS GENEPAL VIEW WAS HOWEVER NOT SHARED BY THE ANTI-NUCLEAR GROUPS. THE JOINT CONFERENCE FOR SHELVING THE DAYA BAY PLANT, FOR EXAMPLE, INSISTED THAT THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO FIGHT. IN MAKING A MASS PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT AND CLP ON 23 SEPTEMBER, THE JOINT CONFERENCE SAND THAT THE SIGNING OF CONTRACTS WOULD NOT PUT AN END TO THE MATTER. NOTING THAT SOME COUNTRIES SUCH AS THE PHILIPPINES AND TAIWAN HAD DECIDED TO SHELVE SOME NUCLEAR PROJECTS EVEN AFTER THEY WERE MMPLEMENTED, THE JOINT CONFERENCE WERE NOT CONVINCED THAT THEIR CONTINUING EFFORT WAS DOOMED TO FAIL. THEY CLAIMED THAT THEY
WERE NOT ALONE AS THEY HAD THE SUPPORT OF THE PUBLIC WHO PREFERRED
THE PROJECT BE DROPPED. THEY REITERATED THAT THEPE WOULD BE A MASS
RALLY AT MORSE PARK ON 5 OCTOBER AND THAT ABOUT 1,000 PERSONS WERE
EXPECTED TO TAKE PART IN IT. FOLLOWING THE RALLY, THE JOINT
CONFERENCE WOULD PROBABLY CONCENTRATE ON RESEARCH ACTIVITIES AND
ANTI-NUCLEAR PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAMMES.
7. THERE WAS MOUNTING PRESSURE FROM VARIOUS CUARTERS FOR MORE
PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAMMES ON NUCLEAR ENERGY. MANY PEOPLE
ECHOED THE VIEW EXPPESSED BY THE LEGCO FACT-FINDING DELEGATION
THAT THE GOVERNMENT AND CLP SHOULD LAUNCH MORE PUBLIC EDUCATION
PROGRAMMES ON NUCLEAR ENERGY TO ALLAY PUBLIC FEAR IN DAYA PAY.
THIS GENERAL MOOD WAS REFLECTED IN A PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY CONDUCTED
BY A DISTRICT BOARD MEMBER FROM SHAM SHIU PO. THE SURVEY SHOWED
THAT NEARLY 95 PER CENT OF THE 154 RESPONDENTS FELT THAT THE
GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROMOTING EDUCATION PROGRAMMES
ON NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY. ON THIS SUBJECT, MR. BILL STONES OF HKNIC,
TOLD RADIO 3 THAT HE WAS PREPARED TO ADMIT THAT THE PERFORMANCE
OF HIS COMPANY AND THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IN
PROVIDING THE PUBLIC WITH INFORMATION ON DAYA BAY. PLANS WERE IN
HAND TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION. IT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY NOTED THAT THE
PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIVISION OF CLP WAS BEING RE-ORGANISED WITH A VIEW
TO DIVERTING MORE RESOURCES TO PUBLIC EDUCATION ON DAYA BAY.
A PELATED DEVELOPMENT, THE LOCAL PRESS, PARTICULARLY THE LEFT WING
PAPERS, REPORTED THAT THE NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY EXHIBITION JOINTLY
ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF
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