XN000022-1990-06-06 — Page 4

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6, 1990

"THROUGHOUT THEIR DETENTION, WE CONSTANTLY SOUGHT THEIR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. THIS IMPORTANT OBJECTIVE WAS EVENTUALLY OBTAINED," HE SAID.

HE POINTED OUT THAT CONSULAR ACCESS WAS NOT NORMALLY GRANTED TO HONG KONG RESIDENTS REGARDED BY CHINA AS CHINESE NATIONALS.

"ACCESS BY FAMILY MEMBERS IS SOMETIMES ALLOWED. IN THIS CASE IT WAS NOT.

"DURING THEIR DETENTION, FOUR OF THE SEAMEN APPARENTLY SIGNED CONFESSIONS, BUT SUBSEQUENTLY, BEFORE THEIR RELEASE, THEY WITHDREW

THEM, HE SAID.

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MR STRACHAN CONFIRMED THAT THE GOVERNMENT INTENDED ΤΟ PROVIDE COMPENSATION TO THE CREWMEN.

"SINCE THEY HAD BEEN EMPLOYED BY THE POLICE, THIS IS ONLY FAIR AND PROPER.

"DETAILS OF THE COMPENSATION PACKAGE ARE NOW BEING WORKED

OUT, AND IT WILL BE PAID AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE FOUR WEEK RENTAL OF THE TUG AND LIGHTER WILL BE PAID BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, HE ADDED.

WITH REGARD TO THE QUESTIONS ON HONG KONG TERRITORIAL WATERS AFTER 1997, MR STRACHAN SAID THESE WENT FAR BEYOND THE MOTION BEFORE THE COUNCIL.

HOWEVER, HE POINTED OUT THAT FOUR ROUNDS OF DISCUSSIONS RELATING TO THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN HONG KONG AND GUANGDONG HAD BEEN HELD.

"THE MAINTENANCE OF PUBLIC ORDER IN THE HONG KONG SAR WILL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SAR GOVERNMENT, HE SAID.

MR STRACHAN SAID IN ADDITION TO THE AGREEMENT REACHED BETWEEN THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES AND THE ADMINISTRATION TO STEP UP CROSS-BORDER LIAISON AND CO-OPERATION IN ANTI-SMUGGLING, THE GOVERNMENT ON MAY ANNOUNCED NEW CONTROLS ON THE USE OF HIGH-POWERED, MULTI-ENGINED PLEASURE CRAFT, AND ON THE EXPORTATION OF CIGARETTES TO CHINA.

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"FURTHER, WITH EFFECT FROM THIS COMING FRIDAY, ALL VESSELS UNDER 250 TONNES CARRYING TELEVISIONS AND VIDEO RECORDERS FROM HONG KONG TO ANY COUNTRY, WILL REQUIRE AN EXPORT LICENCE. STIFF PENALTIES AND POWERS OF CONFISCATION WILL BE INVOKED WHERE NECESSARY, HE SAID.

.

AT

AS TO WHAT PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE IN RECENT WEEKS TO STRIKE THE SMUGGLERS, MR STRACHAN SAID SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS WEEK, SEVEN SPEEDBOATS AND ONE OPEN SAMPAN HAD HAD THEIR LICENCES SUSPENDED BY THE MARINE POLICE UNDER POWERS DELEGATED BY THE DIRECTOR OF MARINE FOR BREACHES OF REGULATIONS OR LICENSING CONDITIONS.

"FURTHER, THE DIRECTOR OF MARINE HAS PREPARED A TARGET LIST OF SOME 60 VESSELS, SUSPECTED BY THE MARINE POLICE OF BEING INVOLVED SMUGGLING.

IN

/"THE DIRECTOR