WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 1980
1
PARTICIPATION IN OLYMPIC GAMES IN MOSCOW NOT IN HK'S INTEREST
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THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR JACK CATER, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THAT IT WOULD NOT BE IN HONG KONG'S INTEREST TO ATTEND THE FORTHCOMING OLYMPIC GAMES IN MOSCOW IN THE LIGHT OF THE VIEW TAKEN BY THOSE GOVERNMENTS WITH WHICH HONG KONG HAS CLOSEST RELATIONS.
STATING THIS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, SIR JACK SAID THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ACCEPTED THE VIEW OF THOSE GOVERNMENTS WHICH ASSERTED THAT PARTICIPATION IN OLYMPIC GAMES IN THE SOVIET CAPITAL WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE WHILE SOVIET TROOPS REMAINED IN AFGHANISTAN.
+ MUST THEREFORE URGE ALL CONCERNED TO CONSIDER VERY SERIOUSLY THE ADVISABILITY OF NOT ATTENDING THE GAMES IN MOSCOW, TO REACH NO HASTY DECISIONS, SIR JACK SAID.
AND
HE SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SUBSCRIBED TO THE HIGH OLYMPIC IDEAL AND TO THE PRINCIPLE THAT THE GAMES SHOULD BE DIVORCED FROM POLITICS, IT WOULD HAVE BECOME CLEAR THAT THIS YEAR PARTICIPATION IN THE GAMES WOULD HAVE VERY DEFINITE POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS IN TERMS OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS,
+THIS IS A FACT THAT HONG KONG CAN DO NOTHING ABOUT, AND HONG KONG AS A COMMUNITY IS UNIQUELY DEPENDENT ON ITS INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, HE ADDED.
SIR JACK POINTED OUT THAT THE EVENTUAL DECISION WHETHER TO PARTICIPATE OR NOT LAY WITH MEMBERS OF THE AMATEUR SPORTS FEDERATION (ASF) AND THE OLYMPIC COMMITTEE (OC) OF HONG KONG.
+HOWEVER, SIR JACK SAID, THIS GOVERNMENT COULD NOT ALLOW ITSELF TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH PARTICIPATION BY PROVIDING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.+
SIR JACK ADDED THAT THIS POSITION OF THE GOVERNMENT ON FINANCIAL SUPPORT WAS BASED ON POLITICAL PRINCIPLES.
+EVEN IF ASF AND OC HAVE OTHER FUNDS AT THEIR DISPOSAL WHICH WOULD ENABLE PARTICIPATION, I HOPE A DECISION ON WHETHER TO GO OR NOT WILL NEVERTHELESS BE ON THE BASIS OF WHERE HONG KONG'S OVERALL INTERESTS LIE,+ SIR JACK SAID,
WHILE APPRECIATING THAT MEMBERS OF THE ASF AND OC MIGHT HAVE ENTERED INTO FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS, SIR JACK SAID: IF THE ASF AND OC DECIDE NOT TO GO, AND THESE EXPENSES ARE RENDERED NUGATORY, IT WILL BE BECAUSE HONG KONG'S OVERALL INTERESTS HAVE BEEN PLACED ABOVE ATHLETIC AND SPORTING INTERESTS. *IN THIS CASE THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE READY TO CONSIDER REASONABLE REQUESTS FOR REIMBURSEMENT.+
SIR JACK SAID THAT IF INTERNATIONAL GAMES NOT AT MOSCOW WERE ARRANGED AND ASF AND OC DECIDED TO PARTICIPATE IN THEM, THEN THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE PREPARED TO CONSIDER PROVIDING SUPPORT IN THE NORMAL WAY IF IT WAS ASKED TO DO SO.