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YOUR TELNO 358: CALL ON LORD GLENARTHUR BY DR. C.H. LEUNG
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073350
MDHIAN 1681
DR. C.H. LEUNG WAS ELECTED LAST YEAR AS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF OF THE MEDICAL FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY IN LEGCO. HE DEFEATED DR. CHIU HIN-KWONG, WHO HAD DEFEATED HIM AT THE PREVIOUS ELECTION IN 1985.
2. DR. LEUNG IS BRIGHT AND ARTICULATE. HE HAS QUICKLY MADE AN IMPRESSION IN LEGCO AND IN THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. HE IS USUALLY DESCRIBED BY THE MEDIA AS A LIBERAL: IN ITS PROPER MEANING, BUT NOT/NOT IN ITS CURRENT HONG KONG USAGE IMPLYING RADICAL, THAT IS ABOUT RIGHT. HE FAVOURS A MORE DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM BUT ADVOCATES IT IN A RATIONAL MANNER.
3. I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER DR. LEUNG HAS ANY PARTICULAR ISSUES HE WISHES TO RAISE WITH LORD GLENARTHUR. I IMAGINE THAT, BEING IN THE UK FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR AND THE HALF TERM OF HIS DAUGHTER AT MALVERN, HE SIMPLY WANT A GENERAL CHAT. HE MAY CONCEIVABLY ARGUE THAT HMG SHOULD DO MORE TO PRESS THE CHINESE TO SPEED UP THE PACE OF CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG. HE MAY ALSO WISH TO RAISE MATTERS RELATING TO MEDICAL SERVICES IN HONG KONG, IN PARTICULAR CONDITIONS OF SERVICE FOR GOVERNMENT DOCTORS AND THE PROVISION OF HOSPITAL BEDS. THESE ARE OF COURSE STRICTLY MATTERS FOR THE HKG..
4. IT IS LIKELY THAT DR. LEUNG WILL RAISE THE SUBJECT OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE. HE WAS ONE OF THE 8 LEGCO MEMBERS WHO RECENTLY VOTED AGAINST THE ALLOCATION OF 1 MILLION DOLLARS FOR REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE FOR THOSE BOAT PEOPLE BEING REPATRIATED VOLUNTARILY TO VIETNAM. PRIVATELY, WHEN I REMONSTRATED WITH HIM, HE ARGUED THAT HE HOPED BY SO DOING TO PUT MORE PRESSURE ON HMG AND UNHCR. IF HE DOES RAISE THE ISSUE. I AGREE IT WOULD BE RIGHT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT, ALTHOUGH PROPOSALS ON CHANGES OF POLICY RELATING TO VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE ARE PUT FORWARD BY THE HKG, HMG, IN APPROVING, GIVES THEM ITS FULL BACKING AND SEES ITSELF AS HAVING THE RESPONSIBILITY TO BE CLOSELY INVOLVED WITH EFFORTS TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THIS IS NOT OF COURSE A MEANS TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT IN PUBLIC BUT IT IS
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