SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 1994
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XI YANG CASE UNDERLINES NEED TO SAFEGUARD FREEDOMS
THE HANDLING OF THE XI YANG CASE UNDERLINED THE NEED FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO DO EVERYTHING IT POSSIBLY COULD TO SAFEGUARD THE FREEDOMS THAT WERE ENSHRINED AND PROMISED TO HONG KONG PEOPLE IN JOINT DECLARATION, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, MRS ANSON CHAN, SAID THIS
(SATURDAY) AFTERNOON.
THE
SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER HER VISIT TO THE MAI РО MARSHES, MRS CHAN SAID: "THE COMMUNITY OF HONG KONG IS VERY UNDERSTANDABLY CONCERNED BOTH AT THE WHOLE TRIAL PROCESS OF XI YANG, AT THE JUDGMENT AND, IN PARTICULAR, AT THE OUTCOME OF HIS APPEAL.
"THEY ARE ALL VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT THE APPEAL HAS FAILED.
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MRS CHAN SAID THE VERY HEAVY SENTENCE IMPOSED UPON XI YANG HAD CAUSED A GREAT DEAL OF CONCERN, PARTICULARLY ON THE PART OF HONG KONG JOURNALISTS WHO ARE DAILY OPERATING IN CHINA, GOING ABOUT THEIR LEGITIMATE BUSINESS OF NEWS COVERAGE.
"FROM THEIR POINT OF VIEW, I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT THE CHINESE CAN, AT A VERY EARLY DAY, MAKE CLEAR EXACTLY WHAT THE RULES ARE SO THAT HONG KONG REPORTERS OPERATING IN CHINA CAN ENSURE THAT THEY COMPLY WITH THESE RULES," SHE ADDED.
STATEMENT UNFOUNDED
COMMENTING ON THE CHARGES MADE BY MR ALEX TSUI BEFORE A LEGCO PANEL ON THURSDAY, MRS CHAN SAID: "WE HAVE ALREADY ISSUED A YESTERDAY, IN WHICH WE MADE QUITE CLEAR THAT THESE ARE ALLEGATIONS MADE BY MR TSUI UNDER IMMUNITY GIVEN TO HIM.
LAW.
"WE HAVE MADE CLEAR THAT THE ICAC OPERATES ENTIRELY WITHIN
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REITERATING THAT THERE IS NO POLITICAL HIT LIST AND THERE ARE NO POLITICAL TARGETS, MRS CHAN SAID EVERY CASE OF CORRUPTION INVESTIGATED BY ICAC WAS CLOSELY MONITORED BY THE ICAC REVIEW COMMITTEE WITH EIGHT OF ITS 12 MEMBERS DRAWN FROM THE PRIVATE SECTORS.
"IT ALSO SEEMS TO ME THAT THE VARIOUS ALLEGATIONS THAT MR TSUI HAS BEEN MAKING IN HIS FIRST DAY OF TESTIMONY BEFORE THE PANEL IS STRAYING QUITE A BIT AWAY FROM THE ORIGINAL PURPOSE OF THE HEARING, SHE SAID.
NOTING THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE HEARING WAS TO ESTABLISH THE REASONS FOR MR TSUI'S DISMISSAL, MRS CHAN SAID: "I HOPE THAT THE LEGCO PANEL THAT IS CONDUCTING THIS ENQUIRY WILL HAVE REGARD TO THE NEED TO ENSURE THAT THE VERY GOOD WORK AND THE VERY GOOD REPUTATION THAT ICAC HAS BUILT UP IN THE LAST 20 YEARS IS NOT UNDERMINED IN ANY WAY.
"I
AM SURE THAT THE PUBLIC WILL NOT WISH TO SEE CONFIDENCE IN THE İCAC, WHICH IS PARTICULARLY CRUCIAL AT THIS JUNCTURE WHEN THERE IS A GOOD DEAL OF CONCERN ABOUT INCREASING CORRUPTION, UNDERMINED IN ANY WAY."
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