MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1994
MRS CHAN: I THINK THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG SHOULD MAKE IT QUITE CLEAR HOW THEY BELIEVE THE HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY PROMISED TO THE FUTURE SAR SHOULD ACTUALLY BE EXERCISED. THEY SHOULD EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS ON THE SUGGESTION FROM AN ADVISORY BODY TO THE NPC THAT THERE SHOULD BE A PROVISIONAL LEGISLATURE AFTER 1997. THEY SHOULD EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF A WHOLE RANGE OF FREEDOMS WHICH UNDERPIN OUR VERY LIFESTYLE AND OUR ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, SO AS FREEDOMS SUCH AS FREEDOM OF THE PRESS, FREEDOM OF THE RIGHT TO TRAVEL AND OUT OF HONG KONG, ALL THOSE SORT OF THINGS, THEY SHOULD MAKE THEIR VIEWS ABSOLUTELY CLEAR.
IN
QUESTION: MRS CHAN, (INAUDIBLE) WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WILL BE DOING IN 968 DAYS?
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MRS CHAN: WHAT DO I THINK I WILL BE DOING? YOU ALL KNOW THE NORMAL RULES FOR RETIREMENT IN THE CIVIL SERVICE I DON'T HAVE TO RETIRE UNTIL I AM SIXTY, AND I'M NOT SIXTY IN THE YEAR 1997. SO GOD WILLING GOD WILLING
THE I WOULD BE VERY HAPPY TO CONTINUE TO SERVE IN
SAR GOVERNMENT AFTER 1997. BUT IF, FOR ANY REASON, THAT IS NOT TO HAPPEN THEN I AM SURE THERE ARE MANY OTHER CAPACITIES IN WHICH I CAN CONTINUE ΤΟ SERVE HONG KONG.
LEAVING I HAVE NO INTENTION OF
HONG KONG NEITHER MY HUSBAND NOR 1.
QUESTION: CHIEF SECRETARY, I GET THE FEELING THAT YOU WOULDN'T BE SAYING WHAT YOU DO SAY IF YOU DIDN'T FEEL THAT THE HONG KONG PEOPLE ARE IN FACT WIMPING-OUT IN THE FACE OF 1997, THAT THE FATALISM THAT PREVAILS IS
SUCH AS EVERYBODY FEELS THAT, WELL, 1997 COMES, WE ARE HELPLESS, THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT; AFTER JULY 1ST 1997 FATE DECIDES. DO YOU REALLY FEEL, TO TURN YOUR ARGUMENT TO THE OTHER SIDE, THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE REALLY HAVE RESIGNED THEMSELVES TOO MUCH TO FATE AND REALLY DON'T CARE WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE 1ST JULY 1997?
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MRS CHAN: I THINK SOME PEOPLE OF HONG KONG - I WOULDN'T SAY THAT ALL PEOPLE OF HONG KONG I'M SURE THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO SHARE MY VIEWS. THAT IS, THAT IT IS UP TO US TO MAKE A REALITY OF THE "ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS" CONCEPT. I THINK CERTAINLY WITHIN THE CIVIL SERVICE WE OWE IT TO OURSELVES AND TO THE COMMUNITY ΤΟ BELIEVE, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY CHOICE BUT TO BELIEVE IN THE JOINT DECLARATION AND BASIC LAW AND TO WORK FAITHFULLY TOWARDS THEIR FULL IMPLEMENTATION. IF WE DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT, THEN I DON'T THINK WE DESERVE TO BE CIVIL SERVANTS.
PEOPLE
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) IS YOUR POINT IN SAYING THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE SHOULD BE MORE ASSERTIVE ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU FEEL THAT AREN'T ASSERTING THEMSELVES ENOUGH NOW? ARE PEOPLE BEING TOO ARE THEY?
QUIET,
ASSERT
MRS CHAN: WELL I THINK THERE ARE, ON CERTAIN ISSUES PEOPLE CAN THEMSELVES. I DO STRESS THAT I AM SAYING THAT THIS SHOULD NOT BE DONE
IN
A CONFRONTATIONAL MANNER. THERE ARE ALL MANNERS AND ALL CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION THAT COULD BE USED AND USED VERY CONSTRUCTIVELY. SOMETIMES VIEWS ARE BEST PUT ACROSS AWAY FROM THE PUBLIC'S GAZE. I THINK THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAVE SAID TIME AND AGAIN THEY ARE COMMITTED TO THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JD AND THE BASIC LAW. THEY HAVE SAID THAT THEY DO WISH TO LISTEN TO THE VIEWS OF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE AND I AM ENCOURAGING THE HONG KONG PEOPLE TO SPEAK UP.
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