12
THURSDAY, JULY 7, 1994
WOULD LIKE TO COMMUNITY IS COME ΤΟ SOME HOPE WITH THE
THERE IS ONE FURTHER POINT I MAKE. THERE IS A SOCIAL ISSUE WHICH I THINK THE WHOLE CONCERNED ABOUT, ON WHICH WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO IRREVOCABLE DECISIONS IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, I UNDERSTANDING AND AGREEMENT OF CHINA. WE WANT TO DO MORE FOR OUR ELDERLY. WE WANT TO PROVIDE THOSE WHO ARE RETIRED, WHO HAVE MADE SUCH A CONTRIBUTION TO OUR COMMUNITY, WE WANT TO PROVIDE THEM WITH DECENT FINANCIAL SECURITY IN THEIR OLD AGE AND THE GOVERNMENT WILL SOON BE PUTTING FORWARD OUR VIEWS ON HOW THAT CAN BEST BE DONE, PRUDENTLY BUT WITH ALSO THE GENEROUS INSTINCTS THAT ONE WOULD EXPECT IN A COMMUNITY WHICH HAS BEEN AS ECONOMICALLY SUCCESSFUL AS THIS ONE HAS
BEEN.
SO AVOIDING GIVING MYSELF ANY MARK OUT OF 10
AFTER ALL.
IF I WAS TO GIVE THE HONOURABLE MEMBER A MARK HE MIGHT CONCLUDE AFTERWARDS THAT IT HAD BEEN OUT OF A HUNDRED NOT OUT OF 10 AVOIDING THAT I WILL JUST SAY THAT I HOPE THAT I'M ABLE TO WORK AS GOVERNOR IN AS SUCCESSFUL AN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS AS I HAVE FOR THE LAST TWO. WHEN I EXPLAIN TO VISITORS NOT JUST HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC STATISTICS BUT 11ONG KONG'S SOCIAL STATISTICS AS WELL, THEY ARE INVARIABLY EXCEPTIONALLY SURPRISED. WE'RE NOT JUST A SUCCESSFUL ECONOMY, WE'RE A VERY SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY ALL ROUND.
WELL, MR GOVERNOR,
MR CHIM PUI-CHUNG (THROUGH INTERPRETER): POLITICIANS, IS IT IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE TOGETHER, NOT DIVIDED. POLITICIANS IN HONG KONG?
FOR
FOR
THE GOVERNOR:
IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR US TO WORK FOR CONSENT AND AGREEMENT AS FREQUENTLY AS POSSIBLE AND I NOTE WITH GREAT PLEASURE THE HARMONIOUS STATE OF THE EXCHANGES BETWEEN THE HONOURABLE MEMBER AND MYSELF THIS AFTERNOON. THIS HARBOURS EXTREMELY WELL FOR THE FUTURE. PERHAPS ON THE 30TH JUNE 1997, AS WELL AS CELEBRATING THE TRANSITION TO CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY, THE HONOURABLE MEMBER AND I WILL BE CELEBRATING A FIVE-YEAR RELATIONSHIP.
MS ANNA WU :
THANK YOU, MR PRESIDENT. GOVERNOR, I AM MOST TEMPTED TO RAISE WITH YOU THE INCONSISTENCY OF YOUR APPROACH BETWEEN THE ELECTORAL PROVISIONS AND THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, BUT I WILL REFRAIN FROM THAT.
ON SEEKING AN INTERPRETATION FROM THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE ON THE JOINT DECLARATION PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT, THE UNITED KINGDOM RESPONSE IN PARAGRAPH 3 READS:
"SINCE THE JOINT DECLARATION IS A BILATERAL TREATY BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN, THE GOVERNMENT SEE NO NEED TO CONSULT THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE ON ITS INTERPRETATION,"
IS THIS THE ATTITUDE THE UK GOVERNMENT HOLDS IN RESPECT OF THE ENTIRETY OF THE JOINT DECLARATION WHEN IT COMES TO A REQUEST FROM HONG KONG FOR A UN VIEW? WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO THIS STATEMENT AS GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG? THANK YOU, MR PRESIDENT.
/GOVERNOR