XN000022-1986-07-16 — Page 19

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 16,

* ENABLE BETTER PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF NUCLEAR ENERGY AND SENSIBLE JUDGEMENT ON THE PROS AND CONS OF THE EFFECTS OF NUCLEAR PLANTS.

WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL DATA TO BACK SUCH ARGUMENTS, THE GENERAL PUBLIC HAD FAILED TO SEE THE ISSUE IN PERSPECTIVE.

FOR THIS PURPOSE, MR CHUNG SAID HE STRONGLY SUPPORTED THE IDEA OF SETTING UP FACT-FINDING DELEGATIONS BY MEMBERS TO VISIT NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS IN OTHER COUNTRIES.

HE SAID HE BELIEVED THESE DELEGATIONS WOULD OBTAIN MORE INFORMATION ON SAFETY STANDARDS AND THE OPERATION OF NUCLEAR PLANTS.

PUBLIC SHOULD LOOK AT ISSUE OBJECTIVELY *****

THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG SHOULD LOOK AT THE DAYA BAY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT ISSUE +OBJECTIVELY AND WITHOUT PANIC,+ THE HON HO SAI- CHU SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MUCH OF THE STRONG FEELING GENERATED HAD BEEN EMOTIVE AND WITHOUT PROPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL ASPECTS INVOLVED, HE SAID IN THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE SUBJECT.

+BLIND OPPOSITION TO NUCLEAR ENERGY FOR THE SAKE OF OPPOSITION IS WRONG AS SCIENCE HAS TO MOVE FORWARD IF IT IS TO BE OF ANY BENEFIT TO MANKIND, ESPECIALLY A PROJECT THAT WILL ON COMPLETION BRING IMMENSE ADVANTAGE TO THE SURROUNDING REGION AND ASSIST CHINA'S MODERNISATION WHICH WILL INEVITABLY BENEFIT HONG KONG, HE SAID.

MR HO AGREED THAT MORE INFORMATION AND FACTS WERE NEEDED FROM THE BEST EXPERTS IN NUCLEAR ENERGY BEFORE IT COULD BE DECIDED WHETHER IT WAS IN FACT SAFE TO PROCEED WITH THE DAYA BAY PROJECT, THOUGH THIS WAS A DECISION WITHIN THE SOLE DISCRETION AND JURISDICTION OF CHINA.

+NEVERTHELESS, I STRONGLY URGE THE GOVERNMENT TO SEEK AND PROVIDE THE NECESSARY INFORMATION SO THAT ALL MAY UNDERSTAND WHAT ACTUALLY IS INVOLVED AND BE ABLE TO ASSESS THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE OPERATION OF A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT WITHIN A SHORT DISTANCE FROM A HIGHLY POPULATED AREA SUCH AS HONG KONG,+ SAID MR HO.

HE ADDED: +AS FAR AS I AM AWARE, CHINA IS SYMPATHETIC TO OUR ANXIETY INSOFAR AS DAYA BAY IS CONCERNED, BUT THE REASONS FOR OPPOSING THE PROJECT MUST BE REASONABLE AND RATIONAL.+

/MR HO SAID