XN000022-1992-10-08 — Page 30

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1992

GOVERNOR:

AS I SAID EARLIER, I WASN'T ABLE TO COVER EVERY SUBJECT UNDER THE SUN IN MY SPEECH YESTERDAY, OTHERWISE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EVEN LONGER THAN IT WAS. BUT YOU ARE QUITE RIGHT TO REFER TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ARTS. AS HONG KONG'S WAY OF LIFE AND QUALITY OF LIFE HAVE IMPROVED, SO IT IS TRUE TO SAY THAT HONG KONG'S CULTURAL LIFE HAS IMPROVED AS WELL. I THINK WE CAN SEE THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, FROM THE QUALITY OF CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY PERFORMING ARTISTS FROM HONG KONG IN CANADA OVER RECENT WEEKS. 1 THINK WE HAVE ΤΟ SUPPORT FURTHER CULTURAL ENRICHMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY BOTH BY PRIVATE SUBSIDY AND BY PUBLIC SUBSIDY AND 1 HOPE THAT I'LL BE PLAYING MY OWN PART OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS BY THE SUPPORT WE GIVE FOR A SERIES OF CONCERTS GIVEN BY THE EXCELLENT ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS. BUT YOU ARE ENTIRELY RIGHT, THAT IT' IS AN ISSUE WHICH BECOMES MORE IMPORTANT AS THE COMMUNITY BECOMES MORE PROSPEROUS AND AS ITS QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVES.

QUESTION:

MR GOVERNOR, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU SOMETHING

ON THE 1995 DIRECT ELECTIONS. ACTUALLY, ALL THE ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN CLEARLY LAID DOWN IN THE BASIC LAW AND IN THE JOINT DECLARATION BUT YESTERDAY YOU SAID YOU WOULD ABOLISH ALL THE APPOINTED SEATS IN THE DISTRICT BOARDS, THEN THE DISTRICT BOARDS WILL BE ALL DIRECTLY ELECTED.

SO I WANT YOU TO CLARIFY THIS POINT: WOULD YOU CREATE CONFUSION IN SOCIETY IF YOU FORCE YOUR PACE 50 MUCH? A SMOOTH TRANSITION IN HONG KONG IS WHAT WE WANT AND I THINK YOU SHOULD DISCUSS MORE WITH CHINA. I LIVE IN HONG KONG AND I WANT TO DIE IN HONG KONG, I DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT YOU'VE MADE A MESS OF HONG KONG. LOOKING BACK INTO HISTORY, WE CAN SEE THAT EVERY TIME THE BRITISH RETREATED FROM HER COLONIES THERE WILL BE TROUBLES. FOR EXAMPLE IN INDIA THERE WAS WAR BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN.

AND SECONDLY, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU SOMETHING ON THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. I AM CHINESE AND THEY ARE CHINESE, I DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM ARRESTED LIKE CRIMINALS. IT'S A DISGRACE TO THE CHINESE PEOPLE TO SEE THEM ALL BOUND UP AND THEY HAVE TO SQUAT BY THE ROADSIDE. ON THE OTHER HAND THE VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS ARE SO WELL TREATED, SO I THINK EVERY CHINESE IN HONG KONG IS VERY ANGRY ABOUT THIS.

GOVERNOR:

THE PROPOSALS THAT I MADE YESTERDAY, PROPOSALS FOR DISCUSSION WITH CHINA, WERE ENTIRELY CONSISTENT WITH THE BASIC LAW AND THE JOINT DECLARATION. THEY WERE CONSISTENT WITH THE BASIC LAW AND THE JOINT DECLARATION IN EVERY PARTICULAR. THEY WERE CONSISTENT WITH THE BASIC LAW AND THE JOINT DECLARATION IN WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT DISTRICT BOARDS.

THEY WERE CONSISTENT IN WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES. THEY WERE CONSISTENT IN WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT THE ELECTION COMMITTEE. THEY WERE CONSISTENT IN WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT LOWERING THE VOTING AGE. THEY WERE CONSISTENT IN EVERY ᏢᎪᎡᎢ . AND FRANKLY IT IS FOR OTHERS, IF THEY DISAGREE WITH ME, TO POINT OUT WHERE MY PROPOSALS ARE INCONSISTENT AND TO PUT FORWARD THEIR OWN PROPOSALS. IT'S NOT ENOUGH FOR PEOPLE TO CRITICISE. PEOPLE HAVE, IF THEY DISAGREE, ΤΟ PUT FORWARD THEIR OWN PROPOSALS FOR THE 1995 ELECTIONS.

I DIDN'T INVENT THE FACT THAT WE HAVE TO PRODUCE AN ELECTION COMMITTEE FOR 1995. I DIDN'T INVENT THE FACT THAT WE HAVE TO PUT TOGETHER 9 NEW FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES. THOSE THINGS ARE ALL CONSEQUENCES OF THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE BASIC LAW AND THOSE ARE PROBLEMS WHICH I HAVE TO ADDRESS ON THE COMMUNITY'S BEHALF AND WITH THE HELP OF THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS.

/QUESTION: MR

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