5
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1993
-
GOVERNOR:
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME TO NUMBER 2. AND HERE IS A GENTLEMAN WITH A BIG RED QUESTION-MARK HERE IF HE WOULD LIKE TO COME ΤΟ NUMBER 1. AND THERE'S A GENTLEMAN HOLDING UP A COPY OF MY SPEECH IN HIS LEFT HAND, DO YOU WANT TO GO TO NUMBER 3? SO, IF WE START WITH THE LADY AT NUMBER 2, AND THEN NUMBER 1, AND THEN NUMBER 3, AND THEN THERE'S A GENTLEMAN IN A SUIT, AT THE BACK, PUTTING UP HIS LEFT-HAND WHO MIGHT LIKE TO GO TO NUMBER 7. THERE ARE THREE GENTLEMEN IN SUITS! YES, I MEANT THAT ONE. I THINK HE IS EITHER VERY FASHIONABLY DRESSED OR WEARING A CLERICAL COLLAR. RIGHT, NUMBER 2.
QUESTION (THROUGH INTERPRETER):
MR GOVERNOR, IN YOUR LAST POLICY SPEECH YOU BROUGHT US A LOT OF NEW HOPE, BUT IN YOUR PRESENT POLICY SPEECH, IT SHOWS THAT YOU HAVE MADE A SUBSTANTIAL REVISION TO YOUR POLITICAL PACKAGE; YOU ARE WILLING TO SACRIFICE DEMOCRACY FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN. IF THE ELECTION IS NOT DEMOCRATIC, IT IS NOT VERY IMPORTANT WHETHER THERE IS A THROUGH TRAIN OR NOT. YOUR CONCESSION PLEASES NOBODY BECAUSE THE CHINESE SIDE IS STILL ATTACKING YOU SEVERELY THESE FEW DAYS. I WISH YOU WOULD STAND FIRM BY YOUR PRINCIPLES TO HOLD FAIR AND OPEN ELECTIONS FOR HONG KONG, AND TO A REFERENDUM FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE LEGCO MEMBERS. I THINK IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO HOLD A REFERENDUM.
HOLD DON'T
SECONDLY, I WISH YOU WOULD ABOLISH ALL THE UNFAIR PROVISIONS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES ORDINANCE, ESPECIALLY THOSE REGARDING WOMEN, SUCH AS: THE WOMEN HAVE NO HEREDITARY THINK THE MALE RESIDENTS SHOULD NOT ENJOY ANY PRIVILEGES.
RIGHTS. I
MY LAST POINT IS, IN VIEW OF THE FREQUENT INCURSION THE CHINESE SECURITY BOATS INTO HONG KONG WATERS, IT SEEMS THAT HONG KONG POLICE ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THIS. IS IT THAT CANNOT DO ANYTHING?
OF
THE
YOU
DO
AND
GOVERNOR:
LET ME ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS IN REVERSE ORDER. WE HAVE TO DEAL, FROM TIME TO TIME, WITH INCURSIONS INTO OUR WATERS, THEY ARE DEALT WITH BY OUR MARINE POLICE. I THINK THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH THOSE INCURSIONS FIRMLY BUT DIPLOMATICALLY. AND I MUST SAY THIS, BECAUSE I AM ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WELFARE AND THE SAFETY OF OUR POLICE: WHILE WE ALL RECOGNISE THAT THEY HAVE TO TAKE RISKS AND RUN DANGERS EVERY DAY IN PURSUIT OF CRIMINALS, I WOULD NOT WANT THEM TO TAKE UNNECESSARY RISKS IN DEALING WITH INCURSIONS WHICH ARE VERY OFTEN THE RESULTS OF MISTAKES.
SECONDLY, IN REVERSE ORDER OR IN THE PROPER ORDER SINCE YOU ASKED THREE QUESTIONS, I'M SURE THAT WE WILL GET A LOT OF REPRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE NEW TERRITORIES ORDINANCE FROM WOMEN'S GROUPS AND FROM OTHERS IN RELATION TO THE GREEN PAPER WHICH I REFERRED ΤΟ WHEN I WAS ANSWERING THE EARLIER QUESTION. BUT THERE IS ONE PARTICULAR ASPECT OF THE PROBLEM WHICH I DON'T THINK WE CAN LEAVE FOR VERY MUCH LONGER: THE TRADITIONAL CUSTOMS AND LAWS OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF THE NEW TERRITORIES HAVE NOW AFFECTED, AS THE HOUSING AUTHORITY POINTED OUT THE OTHER DAY, THE TENURE OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE MOVED INTO THE NEW TERRITORIES IN THE LAST FEW YEARS AND AREN'T INDIGENOUS TO THE NEW TERRITORIES. THAT HAS CAUSED A LOT OF ANXIETIES AND WORRIES AND I THINK WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO ADDRESS THAT PARTICULAR PROBLEM WITH THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SOON.
/NOW YOU