8 -
Question: Can you describe.... Hong Kong you envisage without a Bill of Rights?
Governor: Well, unfortunately, what the proposals seem to be based on wasn't the law, but was a view of politics, and I wondered what those proposals told us about what sort of a place the advisers think Hong Kong is. We have a Bill of Rights. We comply with the International Covenant. And does that compliance make Hong Kong socially unstable? Does that bring disorder to our streets? Of course it doesn't. It's part of the order and decency and civilised values and openness of living in Hong Kong. So, I think that once you embark on a very slippery slope like this one, you fetch up in a situation in which you don't have the rule of law protecting individuals, protecting businesses, and that would be a desperately sad thing for Hong Kong and a very, very bad thing for our prospects, not least our commercial prospects, in the years ahead.
Question: (inaudible)
Governor: We've got no proposal to lean on the banks to get them to change that policy, which I think has been a sensible one in Hong Kong.
Question: There is a report by the Chinese media that somebody is planning for assessing the senior officials of the Hong Kong Government. Do you personally worry about....
Governor: I wouldn't want to comment on a matter with security implications. The sensible thing for us to do is to make sure that we continue with security in public and private life in Hong Kong and we take all the measures necessary to ensure that that can happen. Thank you very much indeed.
End/Thursday, October 19, 1995
Transcript of CS's media session
Following is the transcript of the Chief Secretary, Mrs Anson Chan's media session after visiting the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department today (Thursday):
Question: How seriously are you taking the threat against you?