MONDAY, MAY 16, 1994
QUESTION: GOVERNOR, I WAS STRUCK BY THE FACT THAT YOU ARE QUITE NATURALLY CONGRATULATING YOURSELF ON YOUR HUMAN RIGHTS ACHIEVEMENTS, BUT YOU WERE ABSOLUTELY SILENT ON HONG KONG'S HUMAN RIGHTS FAILINGS... I AM SURE THAT YOU KNOW THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HISTORICALLY HAS A VERY POOR RECORD ON HUMAN RIGHTS. AND IF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WHICH YOU ARE A PART, PLAY A BIG ROLE IN HONG KONG HAVING SUCH A POOR HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD, AND AS YOU KNOW, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT OPPOSED ΤΟ A BILL OF RIGHTS IN HONG KONG UP UNTIL TIANMAN SQUARE, AND THE REASONS THAT THEY GAVE AT THE TIME WAS THAT THERE WAS NO NEED FOR A BILL OF RIGHTS, AND THAT ALL OF HONG KONG'S LAWS WERE TOTALLY IN CONFORMITY WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANTS BECAUSE, AS YOU SAID, EACH PIECE OF LEGISLATION IS VETTED FOR COMPLIANCE TO THESE OBLIGATIONS AND ALL OF A SUDDEN WE DISCOVERED THAT THERE ARE 10 PIECES OF LEGISLATION THAT NEEDED AMENDING BECAUSE THEY MIGHT INFRINGE ON HUMAN RIGHTS. AND THE CHINESE ARE NOW USING THIS BRITISH ARGUMENT, PRE-TIANMAN BRITISH ARGUMENT, TO SAY THERE IS NO NEED FOR A BILL OF RIGHTS. THERE IS NO NEED FOR A HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION BECAUSE AFTERALL, THE BRITISH HAD BEEN VERY CAREFULLY VETTING ALL LEGISLATION, GO THERE IS NOTHING IN HONG KONG... CONTRADICTS THE COVENANTS. NOW I THINK IT LEAVES YOU TO ASSUME SOME RESPONSIBILITIES ON THIS?
GOVERNOR: BUT, FRANK, IF WE'RE TO EXCHANGE ARGUMENTS ABOUT HISTORY, I AM NOT SURE WHERE IT WILL GET US. YOU ARE KEEN TO POINT OUT PESSIMISM AS IT WERE THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE ENOUGH IN THE PAST ON HUMAN RIGHTS. WE CAN ARGUE ABOUT THAT. WHAT I AM CONSCIOUS OF IS THE IMPORTANCE OF ENSURING THAT WE DO ENOUGH TODAY AND I AM SURE IF YOU THINK WE ARE NOT DOING ENOUGH, NOT RESPONDING ADEQUATELY, YOU'LL KNOCK US ALL OVER THE PLACE AS IT IS YOUR TOTAL RIGHT.
QUESTION: IN YOUR SPEECH JUST NOW, YOU REFERRED TO THE FAC REPORT AND THE AMNESTY REPORT, AND YOU SAID YOU'LL BE CONSIDERING ABOUT THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, AND THEN, OF COURSE, YOU GO ON ARGUING THE JOINT DECLARATION MEANS THAT CHINA IS OBLIGED TO GIVE A REPORT TO THE UNITED NATIONS ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS, ETC. WELL, IN THE FAC REPORT, THEY HAVE ACTUALLY SAID THE WAY CHINA TREATED TIBET, TIBET IS OF COURSE BOUND BY AN AGREEMENT, AN INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT LIKE HONG KONG THAT IT SERVES A WARNING FOR THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. HAVE YOU TRIED TO COMPARE HOW THE DIFFERENT AGREEMENTS FOR HONG KONG AND FOR TIBET, AND SEE IN A WAY WHAT SORT OF GUARANTEE HONG KONG ACTUALLY HAS. IT'S ALL VERY WELL SAYING, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN INTERNATIONAL TREATY BUT THEY HAVE BROKEN AN INTERNATIONAL TREATY FOR TIBET, WHAT IF THEY BREAK ONE FOR HONG KONG?
ALSO HAS. EVER
GOVERNOR: I AM NOT A TIBETAN EXPERT THOUGH I HAVE READ THE DECLARATION ON TIBET BUT I DON'T THINK THAT YOU ARE ARGUING THAT IT IS A TREATY LODGED AT THE UNITED NATIONS BETWEEN TWO SOVEREIGN POWERS AND THAT'S WHAT THE JOINT DECLARATION AMOUNTS TO. I AM ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT THE CHINESE, HAVING SIGNED IT AS AN INTERNATIONAL TREATY, INTENDS TO ABIDE BY IT.
OF TREATIES THAT
QUESTION: TWO POINTS, GOVERNOR. I MEAN, JUST HAD BEEN BROKEN IN HISTORY THAT NON-AGGRESSION PACTS AND THE. PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF THAT AND THEY ARE VERY NERVOUS, GIVEN THE DEGREE AND ANXIETY THAT PEOPLE HAVE, WHETHER YOU PHILOSOPHICALLY DISPOSE TOWARDS SOMETHING OR NOT, WOULD IT NOT BE BENEFICIAL AND TRY ΤΟ REASSURE PEOPLE TO PUT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE INTO THE LAW AND INTO CONCRETE STRUCTURE AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL BETTER. WHETHER THERE IS AN ACCESS TO INFORMATION BILL OR HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSIONS, WHAT EVER IT MAY BE, CONCRETISE IT, EVEN IF IT'S NOT PHILOSOPHICAL IN ITS DISPOSITION BECAUSE IT MAKES PEOPLE FEEL BETTER?
/GOVERNOR: