WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 1986
19
MR LEE POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS NECESSARY TO HAVE ALL RELEVANT INFORMATION BEFORE ANYONE COULD BEGIN TO LOOK AT ANY PROBLEM IN DEPTH, BUT HE WAS DISAPPOINTED THAT SUCH INFORMATION WAS STILL DENIED TO THE COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC.
HE CLAIMED THAT ALL RELEVANT INFORMATION WERE KEPT UNDER A SOLID CONTAINMENT AND SAID IF THIS CONTAINMENT OF SECRECY WAS NOT LIFTED, HE FELT MEMBERS SHOULD EXERCISE THEIR POWERS UNDER THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (POWERS AND PRIVILEGES) ORDINANCE TO OBTAIN
THE INFORMATION.
MR LEE SAID THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE COULD ONLY LOOK AT THE PROBLEM WITH THEIR COMMON SENSE IN THE ABSENCE OF RELEVANT INFORMATION.
HE SAID THE PUBLIC KNEW THERE WAS NO 100 PER CENT SAFE NUCLEAR PLANT IN THE WORLD AND THAT ACCIDENTS COULD NOT BE RULED OUT IN ANY NUCLEAR PLANT, EITHER DUE TO DESIGN, OR LACK OF MANAGEMENT, OR BOTH.
THE PUBLIC KNEW THERE WAS NO EVACUATION PLAN PROVIDED FOR HONG KONG BY CHINA AND THAT IN CASE OF ANY MAJOR MISHAP, BECAUSE OF THE PROXIMITY OF THE PLANT TO HONG KONG, THERE WAS SIMPLY NO POSSIBLE ESCAPE FOR THEM, HE ADDED.
IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, MR LEE QUESTIONED WHETHER ANYONE COULD REALLY BLAME THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG FOR FEARING AS THEY DID, AND WHETHER THEY WERE BEING IRRATIONAL OR HYSTERICAL.
HE AGREED TO THE COMMENT THAT THE WHOLE QUESTION HAD TURNED INTO A POLITICAL ONE AND THAT IT WOULD HAVE AN UNDOUBTED BEARING ON THE CONFIDENCE OF HONG KONG PEOPLE IN THE LEADERS OF CHINA.
HOWEVER, HE FELT THAT IT WAS NO LONGER RELEVANT TO CONSIDER WHETHER SOME PEOPLE WERE TRYING TO TURN THIS ISSUE TO THEIR POLITICAL ADVANTAGE BECAUSE IT SHOULD BE OBVIOUS TO ALL BY NOW THAT THE MAJORITY OF HONG KONG PEOPLE DID HAVE A GENUINE FEAR FOR THEIR LIVES, AND THAT THEY HAD NO POLITICAL AMBITION WHATSOEVER.
+THEIR FEARS DEMAND RECOGNITION BY BOTH THE CHINESE AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS, HE STRESSED.
MR LEE ALSO PUT FORWARD HIS OWN SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING THE DAYA BAY PROJECT.
WE MUST NOT RUSH AHEAD WHEN THE WHOLE NUCLEAR WORLD HAS HALTED, HE SAID.
HE THEN ASKED THE RELEVANT PARTIES CONCERNED NOT TO PRETEND THAT THEY HAD NO RESPONSIBILITIES TO HONG KONG PEOPLE OVER THE PROJECT WHEN THEY HAD TAKEN A DIRECT OR INDIRECT PART IN IT.
/HE POINTED