1990-09-21 16:28 BRITISH TRADE COMMISSION
852 845 2870
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LORD CAITHNESS: I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN THAT THERE IS AMONGST LOT OF PEOPLE WHEN THERE IS A RISE IN CRIME. IF ONE LOOKS AT THE NATISTICS, I AM TOLD THAT ONE SEES THAT THE LEVEL OF CRIME NOW, IS IN FACT LESS THAN IT WAS TEN YEARS AGO IN HONG KONG, AND THAT HONG KONG'S INTERNATIONAL RECORD IS EXTREMELY GOOD. A GREAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE SAID TO ME, IT IS SAFER FOR A GIRL OF SEVENTEEN TO BE ON THE STREETS OF HONG KONG THAN IT IS ON THE STREETS OF LONDON AND HAVING A DAUGHTER MYSELF THAT IS QUITE IMPORTANT - BUT THERE IS A LOT THAT IS STILL VERY GOOD HERE. BUT OF COURSE, WHEN YOU GET A RISE IN TREND THERE IS A CONCERN. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND THE SERVICES WILL WORK TOGETHER TO GET ON TOP OF THE PROBLEM.
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WONG SAU-YING: APART FROM WHAT YOU'VE SAID - YOU WOULD RELAY THEIR VIEW TO GOVERNMENT WHAT HAVE YOU ASSURED THEM?
LORD CAITHNESS: I HAVE TOLD THEM THAT I WOULD RELAY THEIR VIEWS DIRECTLY ΤΟ THE GOVERNOR BUT THIS IS A MATTER WHICH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND THEY MUST SORT OUT, AS HAS BEEN DONE IN THE PAST.
WONG SAU-YING: WELL BUT THIS IS OBVIOUSLY OF CONCERN HERE IN HONG KONG, THAT PEOPLE ARE WORRIED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OUR PUBLIC ORDER, AND IF THE DISCIPLINARY FORCES THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE A UNITED ACTION TO GET WHAT THEY WANT THIS TIME, WHAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WANT TO DO OR CAN DO TO MAKE THE PLACE MORE GOVERNABLE, BEFORE IT'S HANDED BACK TO CHINA IN 1997?
LORD CAITHNESS: I'M SURE THAT THE DISCIPLINED SERVICES AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WILL WORK OUT A METHOD BY WHICH THIS TERRITORY CAN CONTINUE TO BE CONTROLLED, IN THE FORM OF LAW AND ORDER, AS IT HAS BEEN IN THE PAST AND TO THE SATISFACTION OF EVERYBODY.
BERNARD FONG, SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: LORD CAITHNESS, YOUR CONFIDENCE OF
OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN, WELL, ASSURING REASSURING, BUT ARE YOU AWARE WHY THE POLICE WOULD APPROACH YOU, BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT SETTLE THEIR DIFFERENCES WITH HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, AND DO YOU KNOW WHY SO MANY HONG KONG GROUPS APPEAL TO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE NCNA? I THINK THAT IS OBVIOUSLY LACK OF HONG KONG CONFIDENCE IN OUR GOVERNMENT, THERE IS A VACUUM OF LEADERSHIP IN OUR GOVERNMENT. THAT IS WHY THEY LOOK TO LONDON AND LOOK TO BEIJING.
LORD CAITHNESS: THESE MATTERS HAVE BEEN SETTLED TRADITIONALLY BETWEEN HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND THE SERVICES. IT IS VERY HELPFUL FOR ME WITH MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR HONG KONG TO HEAR THE VIEWS OF EVERYBODY AT FIRST HAND, FOR ME TO CONSIDER THOSE VIEWS WHICH I WILL DO. THEY HANDED ME A NUMBER OF LETTERS WHICH I WILL REPLY TO, HAVING CONSIDERED THEM, BUT IT IS FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO DETERMINE THESE SERVICES.
BERNARD FONG: BUT THIS IS NOT TRADITIONAL TIMES, LORD CAITHNESS. THESE ARE THE TIMES OF ANXIETIES AND THAT IS WHY PEOPLE ARE MAKING APPEALS AND MAKING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THEIR FUTURE. WHAT I AM BASICALLY ASKING YOU IS THAT WILL THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT DECIDE ΤΟ INTERVENE SHOULD PROBLEMS IN HONG KONG REALLY FESTER, AND THAT HONG KONG GOVERNMENT PROCESS IS UNABLE TO COPE WITH MOUNTING PROBLEMS?
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