XN000022-1992-10-24 — Page 14

13

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1992

GOVERNOR:

KEEN AS I AM ON OPEN GOVERNMENT, I THINK IF I WERE TO SUGGEST THAT THE MEETINGS OF THE JLG TOOK PLACE UNDER THE TELEVISION CAMERAS, THERE WOULD BE SOME POLITE SURPRISE AROUND THE COMMUNITY AND SOME OBJECTION. BUT I FIND MYSELF, OCCASIONALLY AT PRESENT, CRITICISED FOR HAVING BEEN TOO OPEN ABOUT OUR DISCUSSIONS. DESPITE THE FACT THAT I KNOW THIS COUNCIL HAS ARGUED FROM TIME TO TIME THAT WE SHOULD BE OPEN WITH THE COMMUNITY BEFORE WE GO AND NEGOTIATE WITH THE PRC, I'VE FOUND ONE OR TWO HONOURABLE MEMBERS, IN THE DEBATE EARLIER THIS WEEK, WERE CRITICISING ME FOR TRYING TO BE OPEN WITH THE COMMUNITY. I THINK IT'S TERRIBLE FOR POLITICAL STABILITY, TO TRY то WRAP EVERYTHING IN TOTAL SECRECY WHEN ONE IS TALKING ABOUT THINGS ON WHICH EVERYBODY IS TALKING. ONE KNOWS PERFECTLY WELL WHAT HAPPENS, GREAT BUBBLES OF SPECULATION, THE MOST SPECTACULARLY IMAGINATIVE EXEGESIS OF EVERY COMMA, EVERY PUNCTUATION MARK, IN THE GOVERNOR'S EVERY PRESS CONFERENCE AT AN AIRPORT. THAT'S NO WAY TO BEHAVE IN A SOPHISTICATED COMMUNITY LIKE THIS. BUT SOME DISCUSSIONS SHOULD TAKE PLACE IN CONFIDENCE, EVEN IF ONE MAKES THE PROPOSALS THAT ONE IS PUTTING IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS PUBLIC.

CHINESE OFFICIALS HAVE AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN MADE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF DISCUSSIONS AND PUBLICISING THE PROPOSALS THEY PUT FORWARD. SO I DON'T THINK IT'S REASONABLE TO ARGUE THAT THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG IS SOMEHOW, ON THIS OCCASION, CHANGING THE RULES OF THE GAME. AS FOR DISCUSSIONS IN THE JLG OR ANYWHERE ELSE, THE POINT AT WHICH HONOURABLE MEMBERS WILL HAVE TO JUDGE WHETHER WE'VE BEHAVED HONESTLY AND HONOURABLY, IS THE POINT AT WHICH WE PUT DISCUSSIONS TO THIS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. AND I REPEAT, ANY PROPOSALS WHICH ARE PUT TO THIS COUNCIL ON THE 1995 ELECTIONS, WILL, IN THE JUDGMENT OF THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG, BE OPEN, FAIR AND ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.

MISS EMILY LAU:

GOVERNOR, HAVING EXPERIENCED FIRST-HAND THE WAY THAT COMMUNIST CHINESE OFFICIALS BEHAVE, CAN YOU TELL US, AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT RUNNING THIS COLONY, AND AS A STAUNCH CATHOLIC, THAT THE HANDOVER OF SEVERAL MILLION BRITISH CITIZENS TO CHINESE COMMUNIST RULE IN 1997, IS MORALLY DEFENSIBLE AND AN HONOURABLE THING?

GOVERNOR: PROCEEDINGS!

WELL, THAT CERTAINLY LIVENED UP THE

THIS

IS

I WANT TO SAY THIS, WITHOUT ANY RESERVATION, ΤΟ LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

I BELIEVE THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT COMMITTED TO HONOURING THE UNDERTAKINGS GIVEN SO EXPLICITLY IN THE JOINT DECLARATION ABOUT THE PROSPERITY, STABILITY AND WAY OF LIFE OF HONG KONG. BUT I WANT TO ADD THIS, WHICH I HAVE SAID TO CHINESE OFFICIALS IN PRIVATE, AND I SAY TO THIS COUNCIL IN PUBLIC: I THINK THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG HAS FAR GREATER CREDIBILITY IN GIVING THE COMMUNITY THOSE REASSURANCES IF THE COMMUNITY BELIEVES THAT THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG WILL STAND UP FOR HONG KONG. I FEEL THAT VERY, VERY STRONGLY, THOSE REASSURANCES WILL NEED TO BE GIVEN AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AS WE GET CLOSER TO 1997, AND WHEN THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG GIVES THEM, THIS GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG WILL, I HOPE, BE ABLE ΤΟ DO SO AS SOMEBODY WHO HAS BATTLED FOR THE BEST INTERESTS OF THIS DEPENDENT TERRITORY.

/MR LAM KUI-CHUN: