XN000022-1992-07-14 — Page 2

1

TUESDAY, JULY 14, 1992

THE

NO AMNESTY TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS: GOVERNOR

* * *

GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, TODAY (TUESDAY) SAID THERE WAS NO QUESTION OF ANY AMNESTY TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS,

"IT WOULD BE WRONG TO ALLOW ANY AMNESTY OR ONE TO FIND WAYS OF GETTING ROUND THE RULES. THE RULES AND REGULATIONS ARE FAIR AND ARE FIRMLY APPLIED AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE SO," HE SAID.

MR PATTEN WAS SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER HIS FIRST EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING.

COMMENTING ON SUNDAY'S PETITION TO GOVERNMENT HOUSE BY HUSBANDS AND CHILDREN OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT MOTHERS, THE GOVERNOR SAID THERE WAS NO QUESTION OF THE GOVERNOR RECEIVING EVERY PETITION.

HE SAID WHERE THERE WAS THE FREEDOM ΤΟ ASSEMBLE AND ΤΟ DEMONSTRATE, THOSE WHO EXERCISED THAT FREEDOM SHOULD "UNDERSTAND AND UNDERSTAND CLEARLY THAT IT MUST BE EXERCISED PEACEFULLY".

"THAT IS ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE,

+4

HE ADDED.

MR PATTEN SAID

LIBERTIES NEEDED ΤΟ BE EXERCISED WITH RESTRAINT AND RESPONSIBILITY IF THEY WERE TO BE ENJOYED IN A COMMUNITY LIKE HONG KONG.

HE SAID HE DID NOT WISH WHAT HAPPENED ON SUNDAY TO BE TAKEN AS A PRECEDENT.

THEIR

ON THE OTHER HAND, HE SAID EVEN GOVERNORS WERE ALLOWED TO COMMON SENSE AND JUDGEMENT FROM TIME TO TIME.

USE

"AND THAT WAS WHAT THIS GOVERNMENT HAS DONE, THIS GOVERNOR HAS DONE, IS DOING AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO, MR PATTEN SAID.

11

"BUT I REPEAT THAT FROM TIME TO TIME THE GOVERNOR WILL EXERCISE HIS COMMON SENSE, I HOPE IN THE INTERESTS NOT ONLY OF THE GOVERNOR'S STAFF, NOT ONLY IN THE INTERESTS OF THE POLICE BUT ALSO IN THE INTERESTS OF HARMONIOUS RELATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY."

T

ON THE NEW AIRPORT ISSUE, MR PATTEN SAID HE HOPED THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE WHICH IS TO MEET ON THURSDAY WOULD PROCEED CONSTRUCTIVELY AND HELP TO RESOLVE OUTSTANDING DIFFICULTIES.

"BECAUSE I THINK THERE IS A GENERAL RECOGNITION THAT IT'S IN EVERYONE'S INTERESTS, THE INTERESTS OF THIS COMMUNITY, THE INTERESTS OF THE FUTURE SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION (SAR) GOVERNMENT, THE INTERESTS OF SOUTHERN CHINA THAT WE GET AHEAD WITH THE AIRPORT WHICH WILL MAKE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT HONG KONG REMAINS ONE OF THE STRONGEST ECONOMIC CAPITALS IN THE WORLD, ONE OF THE ECONOMIC CAPITALS OF ASIA.

ON THE ELECTION ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN 1995, MR PATTEN SAID ANY VOTING METHOD HAD TO CARRY THE CONFIDENCE THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.

OF

/"IT HAS