XN000022-1987-05-30 — Page 16

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A: FOR A LONG TIME IN HONG KONG, THERE HAS BEEN A TRADITION OF PEOPLE BEING EDUCATED ABROAD AND MOVING THROUGH HONG KONG AND SETTLING ABROAD. SO THE QUESTION OF PEOPLE MOVING OUT OF HONG KONG IS NOTHING NEW.

IT IS ALSO A TRADITION OF HONG KONG NOT TO TRY IN ANY WAY TO RESTRICT PEOPLE'S FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT, AND I THINK THAT'S A TRADITION WHICH PEOPLE CONSIDER TO BE VERY IMPORTANT.

AT THE MOMENT, WE'VE GOT A FAIRLY STEADY MOVEMENT. IT'S BEEN AVERAGING OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS ABOUT 20 000 A YEAR. FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, THE FIGURES FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU CAN DEFINE THEM ACCURATELY, HAVE BEEN LOWER THAN THAT NUMBER. AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, AGAIN TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU CAN DEFINE IT ACCURATELY, I THINK THEY ARE GOING ABOUT NORMAL.

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AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE GOT ANOTHER PHENOMENON, WHICH IS

THAT IS, NOT ENTIRELY NEW, BUT WHICH SEEMS TO BE INCREASING. PEOPLE WHO HAVE SETTLED A BROAD, OR ESTABLISHED A RIGHT OF RESIDENCE ABROAD, RETURNING TO HONG KONG BECAUSE THEY FIND THE ENVIRONMENT

THEY FIND IT CULTURALLY MORE MORE CONDUCIVE IN EVERY WAY.

CONDUCIVE, THEY FIND IT ECONOMICALLY MORE CONDUCIVE.

SO WE HAVE GOT A FLOW IN BOTH DIRECTIONS - AND IT IS NOT A NEW FLOW. SO I DON'T THINK IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED BE OVERLY CONCERNED ABOUT.

I MIGHT JUST ADD ONE POINT, FROM PERSONAL BACKGROUND, AND THAT IS, THAT AS A SCOTSMAN, I COME FROM A COUNTRY WHERE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DOING THAT FOR MANY GENERATIONS.

Q: TSUI MING-YUEN (WEN WEI PO), SIR, BACK TO THE GREEN PAPER. IT HAS LISTED OUT ABOUT 40 OPTIONS FOR THE PUBLIC TO CONSIDER, WHETHER THE SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE FURTHER DEVELOPED IN 1988 BUT, AT PARAGRAPH 114, THE PAPER CAUTIONED THE PUBLIC THAT CERTAIN OPTIONS OR COMBINATIONS OF OPTIONS WOULD HAVE A GREATER IMPACT THAN OTHERS ON THE BALANCE OF MEMBERSHIP IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

SIR, DO YOU THINK THE PUBLIC HAS THE KNOWLEDGE TO CONSIDER WHICH COMBINATION IS THE BEST FOR SOCIETY, WITHOUT THE NECESSARY INFORMATION OR GUIDANCE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION? SECONDLY, DO YOU THINK IT IS A RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT TO SEEK THE PUBLIC OPINION WITHOUT TELLING THEM THE IMPLICATIONS OF ANY COMBINATIONS?

A:

FIRST OF ALL, I THINK IT IS RIGHT FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO LAY OUT A SERIES OF OPTIONS AND TO SAY TO THE PUBLIC, IT IS NOW UP TO YOU TO PUT FORWARD YOUR VIEWS ON THESE OPTIONS. SECONDLY, IF THE PUBLIC IS GOING TO DO THAT, IT IS ALSO RIGHT THAT THE PUBLIC SHOULD REALISE HOW COMPLEX THESE ISSUES ARE. THAT VARIOUS COMBINATIONS HAVE DIFFERENT SORTS OF EFFECT.

/TO TRY