XN000022-1984-11-08 — Page 13

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1984

+1 WOULD CAUTION SOME ENTHUSIASTS IN THE CIVIL LIBERTIES LOBBY WHO SEE THIS PROPOSED REFORM IN BLACK AND WHITE TERMS THAT THE PUBLIC MAY NOT SHARE THEIR EXCESSIVE ENTHUSIASM, HE SAID.

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+ONE THING MUST MAKE CLEAR, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THE PROPOSAL FOR A SPENT CONVICTIONS SCHEME HAS ALREADY GIVEN RISE TO FALSE HOPES THAT IT WILL SMOOTH THE WAY OF THOSE WITH PAST CONVICTIONS WHO WISH TO EMIGRATE. THE FIRST THING IS FOR THEM TO REAL ISE IS THAT THE REQUIREMENT FOR DISCLOSURES OF PAST CONVICTIONS WHEN APPLICATIONS ARE MADE FOR VISAS, WILL BE PRIMARILY GOVERNED BY THE IMMIGRATION LAWS OF FOREIGN COUNTRIES. THEY MAY BE OBLIGED TO DEMAND FULL DISCLOSURES BEFORE PROCESSING EMIGRATION APPLICATIONS.+

SECONDLY ANY HONG KONG LEGISLATION SEEKING TO PREVENT DISCLOSURE WILL MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR FOREIGN COUNTRIES TO SATISFY THEMSELVES THAT APPLICANTS ARE FIT PERSONS TO BE GRANTED IMMIGRATION PAPERS.

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FUTURE IN PEOPLE'S HANDS AKERS-JONES

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NEXT YEAR WILL BE A YEAR OF GREAT CHANGE IN THE REPRESENTATIVE CHARACTER OF THE GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE AT ALL LEVELS, THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, THE HON DAVID AKERS-JONES SAID TODAY.

+ IN PRACTICAL TERMS THERE WILL BE A DIRECT LINK BETWEEN THIS CHAMBER AND THE REMOTEST PART OF HONG KONG, HE TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

THERE WOULD BE MORE ELECTED MEMBERS ON THE DISTRICT BOARDS, THE BOARDS WOULD ELECT THEIR OWN CHAIRMEN FROM AMONG THEIR OWN RANKS, THE OFFICIALS WOULD STEP DOWN, THE PROVISIONAL REGIONAL COUNCIL WOULD TAKE OFFICE, AND MEMBERS OF THESE BODIES WOULD ELECT MEMBERS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HE SAID.

+ IN POLITICAL TERMS THIS INTEGRATED SYSTEM MUST SURELY BE REFLECTED IN THE WAY PEOPLE RESPOND TO NEXT YEAR'S DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS AND IN THE NUMBERS OF CANDIDATES WHO PRESENT THEMSELVES FOR ELECTION AND THE NUMBER WHO TURN OUT TO VOTE, HE SAID.

+WITH SO MUCH AT STAKE, THIS SURELY IS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT THE HONG KONG PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING TO NEGLECT, FOR IT IS THE FUTURE THAT IS IN THEIR HANDS.

MR AKERS-JONES NOTED THAT NEXT YEAR THE DISTRICT BOARDS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES WOULD BE LINKED BY ELECTIONS TO THE REGIONAL COUNCIL, GIVING THE BOARDS A SAY IN REGIONAL AFFAIRS.

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