LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BUILDING
541 P08/08
HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL — 16 May 1990
香港立法局 一九九○年五月十六日
1.
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SECRETARY FOR SECURITY: Sir, the evidence we have includes witness accounts given by the marine police officers at the scene. It also includes the evidence of the two undercover officers who were returned to Hong Kong on 3 May. Thirdly, we have photographic evidence which has been passed to the New China News Agency.
MRS. CHOW: Sir, may I ask the Secretary to answer my last question and that was: between 5.00 and 5.50 am what actually happened? In other words, did the marine police decide not to take further steps such as using their weapons – a course of action I suspect they would have been prepared for since they were fully equipped for the operation? So we are not talking about hindsight. Or were they simply not prepared for the possibility that the suspected smugglers might be armed and this, may I say, happened in Hong Kong waters?
SECRETARY FOR SECURITY: Speaking generally, whenever an official Chinese vessel is found in Hong Kong waters, the first thing to ascertain is whether under international maritime conventions, it is engaged in innocent passage through the waters of Hong Kong. It has a right to do so. Chinese official vessels are permitted innocent passage in transit to and from bases. Whenever an official Chinese vessel is found inside Hong Kong waters seeking to exercise jurisdiction as in this case, it is informed that it is inside Hong Kong waters and it is directed to leave. In this case the vessel refused to leave. Clearly, from my opening statement, there was a protracted time of negotiations. In the end the police commander on the ground decided that he was not prepared to escalate it any further.
Written answers to questions
Water pollution
9. MR. CHOW asked: Will Government inform this Council what long-term and short-term measures will be taken to tackle the problem of water pollution caused by the discharge of heavy metals from electroplating factories and those manufacturing printed circuit boards, in addition to the planned completion of the Stonecutters Island sewage treatment plant by 1995?