XN000022-1992-10-24 — Page 12

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1992

DR LEONG CHE-HUNG:

FOR THE LAST FEW WEEKS SINCE YOUR POLICY YOUR ADDRESS PEOPLE IN HONG KONG IN GENERAL ARE VERY STRONGLY BEHIND PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT. BUT, NOW THAT CHINA HAS MADE ITS VERY VERY STRONG STAND AGAINST IT, ARE YOU WORRIED THAT SOME OF PREVIOUS SUPPORTERS WOULD BE CHANGING THEIR STANCE? AND IF SO, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO ASSESS THE SITUATION?

GOVERNOR:

AND

YOUR

HAS

THAN

IT

THE

I HAVE A CONSIDERABLE RESPECT FOR PEOPLE'S INTELLIGENCE REALITY. A CONSIDERABLE RESPECT FOR PEOPLE'S SENSE OF PREVAILING I'M NOT

NEWSPAPERS AT ALL SURPRISED BY SOME OF WHAT ONE OF OUR CALLED THE BACKGROUND MUSIC TO THESE DISCUSSIONS AND HONOURABLE MEMBERS WILL BE MORE FAMILIAR WITH SOME OF THE BACKGROUND MUSIC EVEN 1 AM;

MAYBE AND MAYBE THE BACKGROUND MUSIC WILL BE LOUDER, WILL BE SOFTER OVER THE COMING WEEKS. NO BACKGROUND MUSIC FROM

INSTABILITY GOVERNOR, NO ATTEMPTS BY THE GOVERNOR TO CREATE POLITICAL

SURE AND I'M

NOBODY ELSE WOULD WISH TO TRY TO CREATE POLITICAL INSTABILITY. I THINK IF WE ALL KEEP CALM, IF WE ALL KEEP REASONABLE DEBATE AND DISCUSSION, IF WE ALL TRY TO APPLY OUR JUDGMENT TO WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF HONG KONG, WE'LL GET RIGHT SOLUTION; AND I DON'T THINK THAT ANYBODY SHOULD UNDERESTIMATE THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WHEN THEY TRY TO ARRIVE AT THEIR OWN PERSONAL JUDGMENTS.

TO

BEST

THE

DR HUANG CHEN-YA:

MR GOVERNOR, YOU TALK ABOUT CONVERGENCE WITH THE BASIC LAW BUT MR LU PING YESTERDAY, AFTER MEETING YOU, GAVE A PRESS CONFERENCE AND HE ISSUED STATEMENTS. AS THE CHINESE SAY, NOW HE

ULTIMATE INTENTION. HAS REVEALED HIS

IT SEEMS THAT HIS IDEA OF INTERPRETATION OF THE BASIC LAW IS DIFFERENT FROM OURS. FOR EXAMPLE, HE TALKED

THE ABOUT FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES, AND HE TALKED ABOUT

OURS. ELECTIONS THERE AND IT SEEMS THAT THE CONCEPT IS DIFFERENT FROM IF WE UNDERSTAND HIM CORRECTLY, NOW THE LAWYERS IN HONG KONG HAVE ONE- NURSES MAN ONE-VOTE AND MEDICAL DOCTORS HAVE ONE-MAN ONE-VOTE AND THE HAVE ONE-MAN ONE-VOTE TO SELECT REPRESENTATIVES. ACCORDING TO HIM, THIS

IT SEEMS IS AGAINST THE BASIC LAW AND HAS TO BE CHANGED. So, THAT HE IS GIVING NEW INTERPRETATION. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW YOUR WILL YOU ASK BEIJING TO EXPLAIN IN DETAIL TO HONG KONG ABOUT HOW INTERPRET THE BASIC LAW SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO TERMS OF CONVERGENCE, AND WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THROUGH TRAIN? GOING TO HELL OR GOING TO HEAVEN?

VIEW.

THEY

DO IN IS IT

/GOVERNOR: