XN000022-1993-01-12 — Page 4

TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1993

SECRETARY'S YEAR- IT WAS A RECORD OF

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO END WITH SOME WORDS ABOUT THE ECONOMY. SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OR READ THE FINANCIAL ENDER REVIEW OF THE ECONOMY ON THE 30TH DECEMBER. WHICH HONG KONG CAN JUSTIFIABLY BE PROUD. REAL ECONOMIC GROWTH OF FIVE PER CENT, FULL EMPLOYMENT, A REAL INCREASE OF 20 PER CENT IN OUR TOTAL EXPORTS OVER A YEAR EARLIER, HONG KONG DISPLACING SINGAPORE AS THE WORLD'S BUSIEST CONTAINER PORT, THE HANG SENG INDEX UP 28 PER CENT OVER THE YEAR DESPITE RECENT FLUCTUATIONS, CONTINUING LOW AND PREDICTABLE TAXES. THE LIST GOES ON, ALTHOUGH I WILL NOT. BUT WHEN MUCH OF THE WORLD IS IN THE ECONOMIC DOLDRUMS IT IS SALUTARY TO REMIND OURSELVES FROM TIME TO TIME, JUST WHAT A THRIVING AND SUCCESSFUL PLACE HONG KONG TRULY IS.

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WHICH

UNDERSTAND THAT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HAS AGREED SAVES ME THE BURDEN AN ORDER OF QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS WHO HAVEN'T BEEN PREVIOUSLY FORTUNATE IN CATCHING THE PRESIDENT'S EYE.

SO PERHAPS I CAN TAKE THAT ORDER AS REPRESENTING ONCE AGAIN A HISTORIC CONSENSUS IN THIS COUNCIL, A CONSENSUS WHICH I'M SURE WILL OBTAIN TOMORROW AND IN THE WEEKS AND MONTHS THAT LIE AHEAD. CAN I BEGIN WITH MR STEPHEN POON.

MR STEPHEN POON:

MR GOVERNOR, IN OCTOBER 1992, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY CLAIMED THAT THE DECLINE IN VIOLENT SHOOTING INCIDENTS DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS OF LAST YEAR WAS A CLEAR INDICATION THAT THE POLICE HAD CORKED THE PROBLEM. THE EVENTS IN THE LAST WEEK, HOWEVER, HAVD PROVED VIOLENT SHOOTINGS TO BE A RECURRENT PROBLEM. WOULD THE GOVERNOR INFORM THIS COUNCIL WHAT MEASURES ARE BEING TAKEN TO DEAL WITH THIS ALARMING PROBLEM AND IN PARTICULAR, WHAT STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT BYSTANDERS FROM THE THREAT OF JEWELLERY SHOP ROBBERIES AND WHETHER THE PARTICIPATION OF ILLEGAL }}}[GRANTS FROM CHINA IN VIOLENT CRIMES IS ON THE RISE, AND IF So, WHAT IS BEING DONE TO COUNTERACT THIS DISTURBING TREND?

THE GOVERNOR :

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I THINK THAT THE HONOURABLE MEMBER IS RIGHT TO ARGUE THAT EVENTS SHOW THAT ONE CAN NEVER BE COMPLACENT WHEN TALKING ABOUT LAW AND ORDER AND THE THREAT то CIVILISED LIVING. HOWEVER, I AM SURE THE HONOURABLE MEMBER WOULD WISH TO RECOGNISE THAT WHATEVER THE APPALLING OCCASIONAL INCIDENCE OF VIOLENT CRIME, THIS IS ONK OF THE VERY FEW COMMUNITIES IN THE WORLD WHERE CRIME AS A

WHOLE, AND VIOLENT CRIME IN PARTICULAR, ARE ACTUALLY FALLING. I SAW FIGURES PROVIDED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE THIS MORNING COMPARING CRIME LAST YEAR WITH CRIME THE YEAR BEFORE, AND I DOUBT WHETHER THERE ARE MANY CHIEF POLICE OFFICERS IN A SIMILAR POSITION TO POINT TO A FALL IN VIOLENT CRIME AND A FALL IN THE SORT OF CRIMES WHICH HAVE CAUSED THE COMMUNITY SO MUCH GENUINE CONCERN. WHY HAS THAT HAPPENED AND WHAT FURTHER SHOULD WE DO ABOUT IT?

1 THINK WE SHOULD COMMEND THE POLICE ON IMPROVED INTELLIGENCE AND ON THEIR IMPROVED STRENGTH ON THE STREET BECAUSE I THINK THE BEST WAY OF DETERRING THE SORT OF CRIMES WHICH CONCERN US ALL, IS BY AN ACTIVE PHYSICAL POLICE PRESENCE WHEREVER POSSIBLE. I THINK THAT IT IS ALSO TRUE THAT INDIVIDUAL SHOP OWNERS, SOME OF THE SHOPS THAT ARE PARTICULARLY HIT AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, CAN DO A GOOD DEAL TO HELP THEMSELVES AND I COMMEND WHAT THE FIGHT-CRIME COMMITTEE HAVE DONE AND SAID TO ENCOURAGE BETTER SECURITY

IN, FOR EXAMPLE, JEWELLERS SHOPS.

PRECAUTIONS

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