6
TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 1988
AN
H.E.: THE ONLY COMMENT I WOULD MAKE ON THAT IS THAT THERE IS AN INCREASE AT THE MOMENT AFFECTING OTHER PLACES IN THE AREA. THERE
THAILAND. AS WAS A GREAT INCREASE AFFECTING
THAILAND TOOK A MORE RESTRICTIVE POLICY, SO THERE HAS BEEN
ENORMOUS INCREASE
THE IN NUMBERS ARRIVING IN MALAYSIA OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS. SO IT IS NOT SOMETHING WHICH IS JUST AFFECTING US, IT DOES SEEM TO BE AFFECTING THE REST OF THE REGION. WE DO TRY TO ANALYSE THE WHOLE TIME REASONS WHY PEOPLE COME. I ASKED YOU THAT QUESTION BECAUSE I HADN'T SEEN YET ANY ANALYSIS SUGGESTING THAT PEOPLE WERE COMING HERE BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THERE MIGHT BE A CHANGE OF POLICY HERE.
BARBARA BASLER, FROM NEW YORK TIMES: SIR, ARE THERE ANY FOR A REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON THIS PROBLEM?
REGION
HAVE
PLANS
BEEN
H.E : DISCUSSIONS WITH COUNTRIES IN THE GOING ON. WE'VE HAD A MEMBER OF THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT, MR ΤΟ DISCUSS WITH FRENCH, WHO HAS BEEN VISITING COUNTRIES IN THE AREA THEM HOW THEY SEE THE PROBLEM AND TO EXCHANGE VIEWS WITH THEM ON HOW WE SEE THE PROBLEM. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF A SEMINAR TAKING PLACE IN THAILAND NEXT MONTH TO DISCUSS THE QUESTION AMONGST COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES IN THE REGION. THERE ARE NO IMMEDIATE PLANS FOR AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCK AS SUCH.
STEVE VINES, FROM THE OBSERVER: COULD I ASK ABOUT THE BASIC LAW, TWO THINGS. DO YOU THINK IT IS APPROPRIATE THAT LEGCO SHOULD DEBATE THE DRAFT BASIC LAW AND DO YOU THINK THAT BOTH APPOINTED AND ELECTED BODIES IN HONG KONG SHOULD HAVE SOME INPUT INTO THE DECISIONS ABOUT THE BASIC LAW?
H.E. THE FIRST POINT THAT HAS TO BE MADE IS THE BASIC LAW IS A CHINESE DOCUMENT TO BE PASSED BY THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS. IT HAS TO REFLECT WHAT IS IN THE JOINT DECLARATION SO THAT GIVES THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT A STANDING IN RELATION TO THE BASIC LAW.
A
AS FAR AS LEGCO IS CONCERNED, IT WOULD BE FOR MEMBERS OF LEGCO TO DECIDE WHETHER THEY WISH TO DISCUSS WHAT'S IN THE BASIC LAW AND TO PUT FORWARD A MOTION IF THEY DID WISH TO DISCUSS IT. SINCE IT IS MATTER WHICH SO CLOSELY AFFECTS PEOPLE IN HONG KONG FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME TO COME, I WOULD EXPECT SOME MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO WISH TO DISCUSS IT BUT THAT MUST BE A MATTER FOR THEM. AS FOR THE OTHER BODIES IN HONG KONG LIKE DISTRICT BOARDS, THERE TOO IT MUST BE A MATTER FOR THEM TO DECIDE WHETHER THEY WISH TO DISCUSS IT.
THE OTHER POINT I WOULD MAKE ON THIS IS THAT SINCE THIS IS A DOCUMENT WHICH DOES SO CLOSELY AFFECT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME TO COME, I'D HOPE THAT AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE WILL PUT FORWARD THEIR VIEWS ON THE BASIC LAW WHEN THE DRAFT IS PUBLISHED IN HONG KONG.
STEVE VINES: DO YOU THINK IT TS APPROPRIATE TO HAVE AN INPUT IN THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC CONSULTATION PERIOD, THESE OFFICIAL BODIES.
·
FOR THESE BODIES LAW IF DURING THE
/H.E.: