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FRIDAY, JULY 1, 1988.
ONE OF THE PURPOSES OF COMING HERE WAS ΤΟ ACTUALLY SEE THE CONDITIONS, SEE THE CAMPS, SEE THE PROBLEMS THAT ARE FACED BY EVERYONE IN HONG KONG, BY THE REFUGEES THEMSELVES, AND TO TAKE WITH ME A NUMBER OF IMPRESSIONS SO THAT I CAN DISCUSS THEM IN LONDON, I NOT GOING TO GO INTO DETAILS ABOUT NUMBERS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
ANN QUON: WHAT WILL BRITAIN BE DOING IN TRYING TO INCREASE
QUOTA?
AM
THE
LOT
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LORD GLENARTHUR: WELL, AS I HAVE SAID, I HAVE BEEN GIVEN A OF INFORMATION WHILE I HAVE BEEN HERE. I SHALL GO BACK AND ONE OF ITEMS THAT IS IN THAT PACKAGE WILL BE THE QUESTION OF THE RESETTLEMENT IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. I HAVE TO TAKE IT BACK TO LONDON WITH ALL THE OTHER ITEMS.
MATTHEW LEUNG (HONGKONG STANDARD): IN FACE OF THE DIFFERENT POLITICAL MODELS COME UP BY HONG KONG PEOPLE, WILL YOU PERSONALLY CALL FOR A POLITICAL COMPROMISE AMONG THEM, ON THE FIRST SAR GOVERNMENT?
LORD GLENARTHUR: COULD YOU REPEAT THAT QUESTION? I FRANKLY COULD NOT HEAR IT.
MATTHEW LEUNG: WELL, IN FACT OF THE DIFFERENT POLITICAL MODELS COME UP BY HONG KONG PEOPLE REGARDING ON THE FIRST SAR GOVERNMENT, WILL YOU PERSONALLY CALL FOR A POLITICAL COMPROMISE AMONG HONG KONG PEOPLE?
LORD GLENARTHUR: WELL, I THINK WHAT WE HAVE GOT AT THE MOMENT IS A SITUATION WHERE THE DRAFT BASIC LAW HAS APPEARED FOR THE FIRST TIME, THERE IS A CONSULTATIVE PROCESS TAKING PLACE HERE ON IT, AND THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAVE SAID THAT THEY WOULD TAKE DUE ACCOUNT OF ALL THE VIEWS BEING EXPRESSED HERE ON THAT DRAFT BASIC LAW. THOSE WILL APPEAR AGAIN AND THEN THERE WILL BE A FURTHER CONSULTATIVE PROCESS. SO THAT REALLY, I THINK, COMES INTO THE MATTER OF THE CONSULTATIVE PROCESS ITSELF. WHAT I DO DEPENDS VERY LARGELY ON THE RESULTS OF THE VIEWS THAT ARE EXPRESSED HERE.
MATTHEW LEUNG: YOU THINK THAT A POLITICAL COMPROMISE WILL HELP BY THE END OF THE DAY?
LORD GLENARTHUR: DO I THINK A POLITICAL COMPROMISE WILL COME? WELL, I CAN'T FORECAST WHAT THE OUTCOME OF A CONSULTATIVE PROCESS IS GOING TO BE. WE HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
ANNIE LAM (SING TAO JIH PAO): THE ENGLISH VERSION OF THE DRAFT BASIC LAW HAS BEEN CRITICISED TO BE A VERY POOR TRANSLATION BY THE LEGAL PROFESSIONS. EVEN SIR DAVID WILSON ALSO TOLD US THAT HE HAS TO READ BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE TEXTS TOGETHER TO GET A COMPLETE PICTURE. DID YOU ENCOUNTER THE SAME DIFFICULTY WHILE READING THE DRAFT BASIC LAW AND HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY GRASPED ACCURATE MEANING OF ALL THOSE PROVISIONS?
THE
/LORD GLENARTHUR: