XN000022-1987-11-04 — Page 22

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1987

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THE DRAFT OF THE BASIC LAW HAD YET TO BE FINALISED AND A CONCLUSION HAD ALREADY BEEN REACHED. THE PROMISE OF A "HIGHLY AUTONOMOUS" HONG KONG AFTER 1997 PERHAPS WAS ONLY A CASTLE IN THE AIR, HR SAID.

DR LAM ALSO NOTED THAT THE GOVERNOR, IN HIS POLICY SPEECH, HAD MENTIONED THE DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG INTO A SOCIETY WITH CONCERN FOR THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF ALL ITS INHABITANTS.

ACCORDING TO A THESIS ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE WRITTEN BY MA PAUL DE L. HARWOOD OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA, THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMPRISED MANY ELEMENTS WHICH INCLUDED THE RIGHT OF THE FRER EXPRESSION, ELECTORAL RIGHTS AND THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATION IN PUBLIC DECISION MAKING.

HE SAID THE PUBLIC ORDER ORDINANCE AND THE FILM CENSORSHIP ORDINANCE, WHICH WERE PASSED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DURING THE LAST SESATON, WOULD OBVIOUSLY BRING ADVERSE EFFECTS TO THE QUALITY LIFE.

IN ORDER TO

SAFEGUARD HUMAN RIGHTS, THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD INTRODUCE AMENDMENTS TO THESE TWO ORDINANCES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, HE SAID.

HE ADDED THAT THE DELAY IN GIVING THE PUBLIC THE RIGHT TO DIRECT ELECTIONS AND THE DECISION NOT TO INTRODUCE THE CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND WERE AGAINST THE GOVERNOR'S WORDS ON "CONCERN FOR THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF ALL THE INHABITANTS"

TURNING TO THE PROVISION OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR LAM SAID THAT AS THE POPULATION STARTED TO AGE, THE GOVERNMENT STRENGTHEN ITS MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY.

SHOULD

ABILITY TO

WITH THE SETTING UP OF THE HOSPITAL AUTHORITY, ITS IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF OUR MEDICAL SERVICES WOULD HAVE ΤΟ DEPEND ON ADEQUATE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS ON THE CALIBRE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE HOSPITAL AUTHORITY AND ITS VARIOUS REGIONAL COMMITTEES, WHICH WAS A VITAL FACTOR IN DETERMINING THE SUCCESS OF THE HOSPITAL AUTHORITY.

REFERRING TO THE PROBLEM OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES, DR LAM NOTED THAT AT PRESENT THERE WERE ABOUT 3,500 VR'S WHO HAD BEEN STRANDED IN HONG KONG FOR OVER FIVE YEARS.

HE SAID HONG KONG SHOULD FIND A PRACTICAL WHO HAD NO CHANCES OF RESETTLEMENT OVERSEAS,

SOLUTION

FOR THOSE

HE PROPOSED THAT HONG KONG SHOULD SET A TIME LIMIT, SAY FIVE, SEVEN OR TEN YEARS. UPON EXPIRY OF THIS PERIOD, THE REFUGEES SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO BE INTEGRATED INTO THE COMMUNITY.