XN000022-1987-03-11 — Page 16

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 1987

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THE FACT OF THE MATTER WAS THAT SUCH REFERENCES WERE ONLY STRUCK OUT AFTER DUE CONSIDERATION WAS GIVEN TO THE SUBMISSIONS BY THE HONG KONG JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION, HE SAID.

MR CHEONG SAID THAT NO ONE, NOT EVEN THE SEVEREST CRITICS, SHOULD FOREVER APPROACH ANY ISSUE WITH THE ASSUMPTION THAT GOVERNMENT ALWAYS HAD AN EVIL TWIST OF CONSPIRACY.

+ IF WE ARE TO CONTINUE TO SURVIVE IN FUTURE AND IF WE DO TREASURE WHAT WE HAVE, THEN WE MUST NOT START TO APPROACH ANY ISSUE WITH UNBENDING SUSPICION IN OUR MINDS, HE SAID.

HE SAID IT WAS A FACT THAT THIS BILL HAD BEEN DISCUSSED EXTENSIVELY IN AD HOC GROUP MEETINGS AS WELL AS IN FOUR LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN-HOUSE MEETINGS AND THAT THE MAJORITY OF MEMBERS HAD INDICATED SUPPORT FOR THE BILL.

+AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME, WHETHER ONE PERSONALLY LIKES IT OR NOT, IN THE TRUE SPIRIT OF PRACTISING DEMOCRACY, IF ONE INTENDS TO REMAIN AS RESPONSIBLE TEAM PLAYERS, ONE MUST LEARN TO BE MATURE ENOUGH TO RESPECT AND ACCEPT THE DECISION OF THE MAJORITY HE SAID.

+

HE ADDED THAT NEVERTHELESS IT MUST BE ACCEPTED AS ANOTHER FACT THAT THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY AND THOSE RELATED WITH IT PLUS SOME CONCERN GROUPS HAD MADE SOME ELEVENTH HOUR REPRESENTATIONS. HE SAID SOME OF THE POINTS RAISED WOULD NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.

HE STRONGLY URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO UNDERTAKE FIRST TO CONTINUE TO PONDER ON THE POINTS RAISED AND, SECONDLY, IN THE LIGHT OF EXPERIENCE AFTER THE ENACTMENT OF THE BILL, TO COMMIT TO A REVIEW OF ITS PROVISIONS WITHIN A PERIOD OF THREE YEARS.

HE ALSO URGED THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY NOT TO BE TOTALLY NEGATIVE AFTER THIS EPISODE.

+THIS COULD WELL BE THE CATALYST NEEDED THAT COULD SET INTO MOTION THE BUILDING OF A FOUNDATION FOR CLOSER DIALOGUE AND CO-OPERATION AMONGST DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF THE INDUSTRY,+ HE SAID.

HE ADDED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD BY AND LARGE BEEN RESPECTFUL AND RESPONSIVE TO LOGIC AND RATIONALE, AND THAT IT WOULD BE HIGHLY UNLIKELY FOR SUCH AN ADMINISTRATION TO TURN A BLIND EYE TO WELL- REASONED ANALYSIS AND/OR SUGGESTIONS PUT FORWARD THROUGH THE COMBINED EFFORTS OF ALL CONCERNED WITHIN THE INDUSTRY.

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