TUESDAY, JULY 24, 1984
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+THE UNLIMITED SCOPE FOR THESE QUALITIES TO FIND EXPRESSION PERHAPS ONE OF THE MORE ENDURING AND COMMENDABLE HALLMARKS COR CAPITALISTIC SOCIETY AND WE NEED FEEL NO SHAME IN KNOWLEDGING THIS, HE SAID.
NOTING THAT THE MEETING OF EAST AND WEST HERE HAD ALLOWED HONG KONG TO DRAW ON THE BEST OF DIFFERENT CULTURE, HE SAID, PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO OUR COMMUNITY AND I HOPE THAT THE FUTURE WILL ALLOW US TO RETAIN
& NURTURE OUR COSMOPOLITAN OUTLOOK.
+THIS CAN ONLY BE POSSIBLE IF INDIVIDUALS, WHATEVER THE IR ETHICAL BACKGROUND, CAN BE ASSURED THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE A USEFUL ROLE TO PLAY IN HONG KONG AFTER 1997.+
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, HE SAID, +FREEDOM F EXPRESSION IS ONE OF THE BEST MEANS OF KEEPING ANY GOVERNMENT
ITS TOES AND A RESPONSIVE GOVERNMENT WILL ENCOURAGE SUCH APRESSIONS AS A WAY TO PROGRESS.
+TAKE AWAY THIS FREEDOM AND YOU WILL HAVE DISTRUST, DIVISIVENESS AD APPREHENSION THE VERY STUFF THAT INSTABILITY BREEDS ON.+
DR FANG SAID HE WAS PERSUADED THAT THE BEST SOCIAL SYSTEM IN THE WORLD REQUIRED A JUDICIOUS GUIDING HAND OF THE GOVERNMENT,
WHAT HE CALLED +POSITIVE NON-INTERVENTION+.
+ IT IS NOT EASY TO KNOW WHEN TO INTERVENE AND WHEN NOT TO AND THERE ARE MANY OCCASIONS WHEN WE HAVE GOT IT WRONG, HE SAID. CONCEDING THAT THESE HITS AND MISSES WOULD CONTINUE, HE ADDED, BUT BY AND LARGE WE HAVE NOT DONE BADLY AND BELIEVE THAT IT WILL BE NECESSARY FOR THE FUTURE GOVERNMENT TO CONTINUE TO PROTECT AND MEET THE ASPIRATIONS OF THE WEAK, THE NEEDY, THE SICK AND THE HANDICAPPED WITHOUT, HOWEVER, STIFLING INDIVIDUAL INITIATIVES AND INDEPENDENCE. LET THE STRONG LOOK AFTER THEMSELVES.+
HE BELIEVED THAT +FREEDOM+ WAS THE KEY WORD AND ONE WHICH HAD ALWAYS TO BE KEPT IN THE FOREFRONT OF THE CURRENT NEGOTIATIONS TO DECIDE HONG KONG'S FUTURE.
+FREEDOM HAS BECOME SECOND NATURE TO US ALL AND IT IS ALL TOO EASY TO TAKE IT FOR GRANTED. BUT EXPERIENCE ELSEWHERE SHOULD SERVE TO REMIND US THAT FREEDOM CAN JUST AS EASILY BE WRESTED FROM ONE THROUGH THE DECREES OF MEN.
+FREEDOM OF CHOICE IS WHAT HAS MADE HONG KONG AND THERE WILL BE NO QUICKER ROAD TO INSTABILITY AND EROSION OF CONFIDENCE THAN TO SUBORDINATE THE FREE WILL OF MEN TO THE DICTATES OF THE GOVERNMENT,+ HE WARNED.
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