THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 1989
OF
29 "AND IT IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE, AS STATED IN ARTICLES 28 AND
THOSE FREEDOMS,
WE WHICH THE PRESENT DRAFT, IT WILL PRESERVE CURRENTLY ENJOY AND VALUE SO HIGHLY, AGAINST ANY ARBITRARY EXERCISE OF LIVE THEIR POWER, 80 THAT MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY CAN CONTINUE TO LIVES WITHIN THE RULE OF THE LAW AS WE KNOW IT," HE ADDED.
THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW WAS, MR JACOBS NOTED, FOR THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.
"BUT,
A
MATTER
THE
HAS
THE
OCCASIONS, AS HAS BEEN EMPHASISED ON MANY PREVIOUS BRITISH GOVERNMENT, AS A CO-SIGNATORY TO THE JOINT DECLARATION, THE RIGHT AND OBLIGATION TO SATISFY ITSELF THAT THE PROVISIONS OF
THE TERMS OF THE JOINT BASIC LAW FULLY
FAITHFULLY REFLECT AND DECLARATION.
HAVE THEREFORE BREN
ATTENTION
"THE BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS FOLLOWING THE DRAFTING PROCESS CLOSELY AND HAVE PAID CLOSE TO THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY HONG KONG PEOPLE.
"AS A RESULT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE BOTH TO REFLECT SUCH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT THROUGH APPROPRIATE CHANNELS AND TO TO THE VERY USEFUL DISCUSSIONS WHICH HAVE TAKEN PLACE.
VIEWS ΤΟ CONTRIBUTE
THEMSELVES
"IN THEIR TURN, THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES HAVE SHOWN RECEPTIVE TO THE MANY VIEWS THAT HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED," HE SAID.
BOTH PUBLISHED
MR JACOBS BELIEVED THAT THERE HAD BEEN GENERAL AGREEMENT IN HONG KONG AND ELSEWHERE THAT THE SECOND DRAFT BASIC LAW, IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR, REPRESENTED A CONSIDERABLE IMPROVEMENT ON FIRST DRAFT.
THE
INDEED, "IN PARTICULAR, CHANGES MADE TO THE SECOND DRAFT HAVE,
HKSAR WILL, IN GONE A CONSIDERABLE WAY TOWARDS ENSURING THAT THE PRACTICE, ENJOY THE HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY PROVIDED FOR IN THE DECLARATION, SO AS TO GIVE EXPRESSION TO THE CONCEPT OF 'ONE
HE SAID. TWO SYSTEMS' ENSHRINED IN THE JOINT DECLARATION,
"MUCH
EXERCISE.
1+
HAS BEEN ACHIEVED AS A RESULT OF THE FIRST
JOINT COUNTRY,
CONSULTATION
TO
"CONSULTATION ON THE SECOND DRAFT PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY CONTINUE THE PROCESS OF REMEDYING THOSE AREAS ON WHICH THERE MAY STILL POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE BE DOUBTS, OR ON WHICH IT HAS NOT YET PROVED CONSENSUS, MR JACOBS SAID.
11
OF
BASIC LAW WAS THE HE POINTED OUT THAT THE PRESENT DRAFT PRODUCT OF CONSIDERABLE DISCUSSION AND VERY HARD WORK ON THE PART THE DRAFTERS.
"WE HAVE SEEN, IN THE CHANGES ADOPTED IN THE SECOND DRAFT, VALUE OF CONSENSUS IN THE COMMUNITY.
THE
"THE MEASURE OF CONSENSUS WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN ACHIEVED IS OF
MR JACOBS NOTED. GREAT CREDIT TO ALL CONCERNED,
11
/WHEN THE