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WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 1992

ACS WERE FORMED ONLY WHEN THERE WAS A PERCEIVED NEED то

WITHIN SUPPLEMENT EXISTING CHANNELS OF CONSULTATION

HE A DISTRICT,

SAID.

ΤΑΙ ΡΟ.

AT PRESENT, ACS EXIST IN ALL THE DISTRICTS EXCEPT NORTH AND

BUT IN THESE TWO DISTRICTS, HE SAID, WHERE MANY AREAS WERE STILL PREDOMINANTLY RURAL, THE RURAL COMMITTEES PROVIDED A VERY EFFECTIVE CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND LOCAL

VILLAGERS AS RESIDENTS, INCLUDING BOTH THE INDIGENOUS

WELL AS NEW TOWN RESIDENT'S.

"IN ADDITION, THERE IS A WELL BALANCED GEOGRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION ON THE DISTRICT BOARDS AND THEIR COMMITTEES.

THE

"FURTHERMORE, OTHER LOCAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES SUCH AS DISTRICT FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE, THE CIVIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE AND THE SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAMME CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE COMPRISE OF MEMBERS WHO COME FROM A WIDE SPECTRUM OF SOCIAL BACKGROUND AND INTERESTS, MR SUEN SAID.

||

HE POINTED OUT THAT MANY MEMBERS OF THESE COMMITTEES WERE REPRESENTATIVES FROM LOCAL OWNERS CORPORATIONS AND MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES.

S FOR S EXPLAINS BOAT INCIDENT

THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR IAN STRACHAN, EXPLAINED TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) AN INCIDENT IN WHICH TWO HONG KONG BOATS WERE INTERCEPTED BY CHINESE PATROL VESSELS LAST MONTH.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON STEVEN POON KWOK-LIM, HE SAID WHEN THE MARINE POLICE AND AN AUXILIARY AIR FORCE HELICOPTER ARRIVED ON THE SCENE, BOTH THE BARGE AND THE TUG-BOAT WERE IN CHINESE WATERS.

"THE CHINESE SIDE HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY CONFIRMED THAT THEIR PATROL VESSELS FIRST INTERCEPTED THE BOATS IN CHINESE WATERS.

"AN

NO TIME WERE ANY OF THE VESSELS OBSERVED BY THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES INSIDE HONG KONG WATERS," HE SAID.

MR STRACHAN SAID THERE HAD BEEN NO NEGOTIATION WITH THE CHINESE SIDE OVER THE INCIDENT, ALTHOUGH IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS AND AGAIN ON MAY 7 THE GOVERNMENT HAD SOUGHT INFORMATION FROM THEM ABOUT THE INCIDENT AND THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE CREW.

HE SAID WHETHER THE CREW COULD BE PERMITTED ΤΟ RECEIVE VISITORS WAS A MATTER FOR THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES.

"WE ARE

**

CREW, HE SAID.

AWAITING THEIR RESPONSE TO OUR ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE

0

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