MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1993
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NOW AND
THE BEST PROTECTION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN HONG KONG BEYOND 1997 - LIES IN THE STRENGTH AND THE INTEGRITY OF HONG KONG'S LEGAL SYSTEM AND ITS INSTITUTIONS. THAT IS WHY I AM SO CONCERNED TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE MAINTAINED; FRANKLY, I AM INCLINED TO REGARD THAT TASK AS MORE IMPORTANT THAN TRYING TO ESTABLISH NEW BODIES, SUCH AS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION. IF YOUR HUMAN RIGHTS ARE INFRINGED IN HONG KONG, REMEDIES AND MEANS OF REDRESS ALREADY EXIST. I AM A PASSIONATE BELIEVER IN HUMAN RIGHTS; BUT WHETHER A HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION IS REALLY NECESSARY, IN ADDITION TO THE BILL OF RIGHTS, THE COURTS, ICAC, THE LEGISLATURE, THE FREE PRESS, TO DEFEND THEM IS A MORE QUESTION. THERE IS ALWAYS THE RISK THAT IT MIGHT PROVE AN UNNECESSARY DISTRACTION FROM THE MAIN TASK AT HAND. BUT I REMAIN OPEN TO THE ARGUMENTS, OPEN TO PERSUASION AS ANY ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNOR SHOULD, I WELCOME FURTHER PUBLIC DEBATE ON THIS ISSUE.
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BEFORE I FINISH, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY A WORD SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE TALKS WHICH YOU MAY HAVE HEARD HAVE BEEN TAKING PLACE IN PEKING. WE HAVE NOW HAD 16 ROUNDS OF TALKS, AND MANY WORDS HAVE BEEN EXCHANGED ACROSS THE NEGOTIATING TABLE IN THE DIAOYUTAI. THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY PATIENT. BUT I THINK THAT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY
AND INDEED THE REST OF THE WORLD MUST BE SCRATCHING THEIR HEADS AND WONDERING WHY ON EARTH IT IS PROVING SO DIFFICULT TO GET AGREEMENT ON EVEN THE RELATIVELY SIMPLE ISSUES, WHERE THE COMMUNITY'S AND LEGCO'S REASONABLE VIEWS ARE CLEAR - ON THE VOTING AGE FOR EXAMPLE, 18 IN BOTH THE UK AND CHINA, BUT NOT IN HONG KONG; ON THE VOTING SYSTEM, WHERE LEOCO'S VIEW IS VERY CLEAR; OR ON MEMBERSHIP DISTRICT BOARDS AND MUNICIPAL COUNCILS, WHERE AGAIN, THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HAS MADE ITS POSITION, ITS PERFECTLY REASONABLE AND MODERATE POSITION, PLAIN. WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT THESE ISSUES IN APRIL, IN PEKING
APRIL IN PEKING, NOW IN PEKING THE SNOW IS FALLING. IT SHOULD HAVE TAKEN DAYS, NOT SEASONS, TO REACH AGREEMENT ON THESE LESS CONTENTIOUS ISSUES. AND YET SPRING HAS GIVEN WAY TO SUMMER, SUMMER HAS GIVEN WAY TO AUTUMN, AUTUMN HAS NOW HANDED OVER TO WINTER, AND STILL THE LESS CONTENTIOUS ISSUES REMAIN DOGGEDLY UNRESOLVED NOT ΤΟ MENTION THE MORE DIFFICULT ONES. IF WE HAD BEEN ABLE TO REACH AGREEMENT ON THEM EARLIER - IF THEN WE WOULD HAVE HAD MORE TIME FOR THE REALLY DIFFICULT STUFF. AS IT IS, PROGRESS HAS BEEN VERY DISAPPOINTING. WE'RE DOING OUR BEST. WE'RE DOING, ON OUR SIDE, OUR SINCERE BEST.
- AND THIS, AS YOU WILL KNOW, IS THE UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GET A MOVE ON IN THESE TÁLKS IF WE ARE TO REACH AGREEMENT AND GET ALL THE LEGISLATION THROUGH ON TIME.
BUT
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IS ALL THIS TROUBLE ABOUT ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS AN IRRELEVANCE, THE ESOTERIC ARGUMENT OF A FEW INTELLECTUALS WHILE EVERYDAY LIFE IN HONG KONG SAILS MERRILY ON? I SUPPOSE IT MIGHT BE ACADEMIC IF YOU HAVE, SAY, A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY AND A BRITISH OR A NORTH AMERICAN PASSPORT IN YOUR BACK POCKET. BUT THESE THINGS MATTER PARTICULARLY STRONGLY IF YOU DON'T. BECAUSE UPON THEM DEPENDS WHAT HONG KONG WILL BE LIKE TO LIVE IN IN THE YEARS AHEAD. WHETHER IT WILL GO FORWARD A WAVE OF THE FUTURE; STILL THE WINNING HAND IN THOSE GAMES DEVISED BY 'THE TIMES' OR DECLINE STABILITY THREATENED BY PANDEMIC CORRUPTION, BY HAVE NO DOUBT WHICH FUTURE HONG KONG DESERVES. THAT WE ARE DETERMINED TO DO ALL THAT WE CAN TO BRIGHT AND DESERVED PROSPECT. THANK YOU.
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ITS PROSPERITY AND SLEEZE AND SQUEEZE. I AND I CAN ASSURE YOU SECURE THAT
EXTREMELY
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