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THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 1994
TRANSCRIPT OF CS' MEDIA SESSION
THE FOLLOWING IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEDJA SESSION BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, MRS ANSON CHAN AFTER VISITING NEW TOWN PLAZA IN SHA TIN THIS (THURSDAY) AFTERNOON: -
CS: GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. FIRST OF ALL, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY I AM VERY HAPPY ΤΟ SKE FOR MYSELF SOME OF THE VOTER REGISTRATION ACTIVITIES. I'VE JUST HANDED IN MY FORM TO REGISTER CHANGE OF ADDRESS. AS YOU KNOW I RECENTLY MOVED INTO VICTORIA HOUSE BUT I'VE NOT YET NOTIFIED THE REGISTRATION OFFICE OF THE CHANGE OF ADDRESS.
50, AS A DUTIFUL CITIZEN, I'VE NOW DONE WHAT I AM REQUIRED TO DO.
BEFORE 1 TAKE QUESTIONS, I WANT TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE WHICH IS MUCH IN THE NEWS. FIRST OF ALL, THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL HAS DISCUSSED A NUMBER OF HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES BUT NO DECISION HAS YET BEEN TAKEN OTHER THAN IN THE CONTEXT OF CEDAW. THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS WILL BE HAVING A PRESS CONFERENCE TOMORROW AT WHICH HE WILL ANNOUNCE THE WAY FORWARD ON THE QUESTION OF EQUALITY FOR THE SEXES. SO, I WOULD ASK YOU TO DIRECT WHATEVER QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ON THAT FRONT TO HIM TOMORROW.
NOW,
IT IS NO SURPRISE THAT I HAVE A MEETING WITH INDIVIDUAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS TO DISCUSS VARIOUS ISSUES OF CONCERN TO THEM. I MEET WITH THEM REGULARLY AND AS YOU ALSO KNOW, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PRIVATE MEMBERS' BILLS ON HUMAN RIGHTS, ON EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES, ON ACCESS TO INFORMATION. SO, THIS IS A NORMAL PART OF MY WORK.
IN HONG KONG, YOU KNOW THAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS FULLY COMMITTED ΤΟ PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS. WE ALREADY, OUR COMMUNITY ALREADY ENJOYS A GREAT DEAL OF FREEDOMS. WE HAVE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. WE HAVE FREEDOM OF WORSHIP, FREEDOM TO CRITICISE THE GOVERNMENT.
AND, WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO SAFEGUARD HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE VARIOUS FREEDOMS THAT OUR COMMUNITY OBVIOUSLY TREASURES. THE FUNDAMENTAL UNDERPINNING OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN HONG KONG IS, OF COURSE, A FACT THAT WE HAVE AN INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY AND WE HAVE A HUMAN RIGHTS ORDINANCE AND WE WILL DO EVERYTHING WE POSSIBLY CAN TO SAFEGUARD THOSE INSTITUTIONS AND, INDEED, TO STRENGTHEN THEM, WHAT WE WANT TO ΠΟ IN
THE
COMING WEEKS AND MONTHS IS TO GIVE CAREFUL CONSIDERATION ΤΟ THE NEXT STEPS THAT WE SHOULD TAKE TO STRENGTHEN HUMAN RIGHTS. WE WANT ΤΟ ADOPT PRACTICAL MEASURES THAT WILL, ON THE ONE SIDE, SAFEGUARD THESE RIGHTS AND WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF CONTINUING BOTH NOW AND AFTER 1997. IN OTHER WORDS, WE WANT MEASURES THAT ARE DURABLE THAT THE COMMUNITY WILL SUPPORT. WE WILL SHORTLY, I HOPE, BE ABLE ΤΟ SAY SOMETHING, MAYBE IN A FEW WEEKS' TIME, ON THE WHOLE QUESTION OF WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING FURTHER TO IMPROVE THE TRANSPARENCY OF THE GOVERNMENT, ITS ADMINISTRATION, THE WAY IT MAKES ITS POLICY DRCISIONS AND THE WAY IT FORMULATES ITS POLICY. WE ARE, OF COURSE, COMMITTED TO GIVING AN ANSWER TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS CONTAINED IN THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE REPORT AND AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL. WE WILL, OF COURSE, RESPOND BY THE STIPULATED TIME WHICH IS END OF JUNE.
/LET ME