XN000022-1992-10-08 — Page 46

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E

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1992

SITUATION, QUESTIONER: NOW, FOR INSTANCE, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE 1995

BE THE

DEMOCRACY MR PATTEN SAID THAT THERE WILL DIRECT ELECTIONS. AND THERE WILL BE A THROUGH-TRAIN. I DON'T FEEL THAT THAT'S POSSIBLE THAT IT'S IN BECAUSE IF

CHINESE ARE AGAINST IT AND THEY FEEL THE BREACH OF THE BASIC LAW, THEN HOW CAN THERE BE A THROUGH-TRAIN?

ARE THERE ARE I'VE FOUND, DECISIONS, THAT I'VE IN THE YOU'RE

WILLIAM LEE: YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE THROUGH-TRAIN, AREN'T YOU?

GOVERNOR:

WELL, CAN I FIRST OF ALL SAY THAT OF COURSE THERE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE SAYING THAT THESE PROPOSALS GO TOO FAR. SOME PEOPLE SAYING THAT I HAVEN'T GONE NEARLY FAR ENOUGH, MYSELF,

INEVITABLY IT'S PART OF THE CONSEQUENCE OF TAKING BEING CRITICISED ON BOTH SIDES. I SUSPECT THAT MAY MEAN GOT IT JUST ABOUT RIGHT BUT I'LL BE INTERESTED IN REACTIONS

BUT YOU SAY THAT COMMUNITY OVER THE COMING WEEKS AND MONTHS. CONCERNED THAT WHAT I'M DOING ISN'T CONSISTENT WITH THE BASIC LAW. DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU'VE GOT ANY PARTICULAR ASPECT OF THE BASIC

I'VE I IN MIND BECAUSE

PUT BELIEVE THAT CONSISTENT WITH THE BASIC LAW.

EVERYTHING

I

LAW

FORWARD

IS

CAN

BE

FOR

OF

IF THE REQUIREMENT IS THAT WHAT WE SHOULD DO CONSISTENT WITH THE BASIC LAW, THEN I DON'T THINK IT'S REASONABLE PEOPLE TO START CHANGING THE GOAL POSTS, START CHANGING THE BOUNDS

DOESN'T MEAN THE DISCUSSION AND SAY, "AH WELL, REALLY THE BASIC LAW

I KNOW ITS THE BASIC LAW IS WRITTEN DOWN, WHAT IT SAYS ON PAPER".

READ TEXT NOW EXTREMELY WELL, I'VE READ IT MORE FREQUENTLY THAN I'VE MOST DOCUMENTS, AND I HAVEN'T YET SEEN I'VE EVEN GOT A COPY IN THE SAYS THAT THE I DON'T KNOW OF ANY SERIOUS ARGUMENT WHICH STUDIO PROPOSALS I'VE PUT FORWARD FOR 1995 AREN'T CONSISTENT WITH THE

LAW.

—

PROPOSALS

BASIC

YOU MAY BUT CAN I REPEAT SOMETHING WHICH I'M AFRAID

HEAR

WHICH FROM

IF THERE ARE OTHER ME AGAIN AND AGAIN.

ARE PEOPLE WANT TO BRING FORWARD, INCLUDING CHINESE OFFICIALS, WHICH

VIEW CONSISTENT WITH THE BASIC LAW IN THEIR

BUT ALSO MEET OUR OBLIGATIONS TO MAKE SOME CHANGES IN 1995, THEN LET'S SEE THEM ON THE TABLE. I CAN'T REALLY BE IN A POSITION IN WHICH I BRING FORWARD BUT PROPOSALS, PUT THEM ON THE TABLE, AM TOLD THEY'RE NOT GOOD ENOUGH

OCCASION WHICH MUST COME BACK WITH FURTHER PROPOSALS ON SOME OTHER MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT BE SUITABLE. THAT'S NOT A VERY SENSIBLE WAY ACTUALLY TRYING TO ENGAGE IN A DISCUSSION.

QUESTION:

OF

GOVERNMENT

FOR

THE

CAN THE GOVERNOR PLEASE COMMENT ON WHEN THE TO IS PLANNING

RATIFY CEDAW, WHICH IS THE CONVENTION ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN, AS CHINA AND BRITAIN HAVE OF A DONE, AND ALSO IF THEY ARE REALLY COMMITTED TO THE SETTING UP WOMEN'S COMMISSION IN HONG KONG?

/GOVERNOR: THAT'S