XN000022-1994-05-03 — Page 4

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TUESDAY, MAY 3, 1994

GOVERNOR: THE SCHEME YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT IS ONE WHICH IS THE RESULT OF AN INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT. MOST OF THOSE WHO HAVE RETURNED TO VIETNAM, THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY HAVE DONE SO VOLUNTARILY AND I THINK THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WHO'VE BEEN EXTREMELY HOSPITABLE AND HAVE PAID A VERY LARGE BILL AND MANY OF THEM INVOLVING THEMSELVES IN VOLUNTARY ACTIVITIES IN THE CAMPS, DO READ STORIES ABOUT THE GROWING SIGNS OF SUCCESS IN THE VIETNAMESE ECONOMY AND WONDER WHY THERE ARE STILL OVER 20 000 PEOPLE IN THE CAMPS IN HONG KONG. SO I VERY MUCH HOPE WE'LL SEE MORE RETURNING VOLUNTARILY AND I HOPE THAT WE WON'T NEED TO USE THE INTERNATIONALLY AGREED PROGRAMME AS MUCH. THERE IS NO REASON AT ALL WHY PEOPLE SHOULDN'T RETURN UNDER THEIR OWN STEAM BUT IF THEY DON'T, THEN WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE RECOURSE то THE INTERNATIONALLY AGREED REPATRIATION PROGRAMME.

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QUESTION: MR PATTEN, WHY DIDN'T YOU SEND SOME HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO WELCOME MR LU PING WHEN HE ARRIVED FROM GUANGZHOU?

GOVERNOR: WE WEREN'T ASKED. IF DIRECTOR LU PING HAD WANTED OR HIS ENTOURAGE HAD WANTED AN OFFICIAL WELCOME, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN DELIGHTED TO GIVE THEM ONE. IF THEY WANT AN OFFICIAL FAREWELL, WE WILL DELIGHTED TO GIVE THEM THAT AS WELL. I WOULD GO AND SAY "HELLO" OR "GOOD BYE" SO WOULD MY OFFICIALS. BUT WE WERE TOLD THAT THAT WASN'T REQUIRED. WE DID, HOWEVER, PROVIDE ALL THE SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS WHICH DIRECTOR LU PING AND HIS ENTOURAGE ASKED FOR AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO ENSURE AS FAR AS WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THEY HAVE A VERY WARM WELCOME IN HONG KONG AND HAVE ALL THE SECURITY AND OTHER ARRANGEMENTS THAT THEY NEED. YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE NO PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WHO ARE MORE CORDIAL AND WARM-HEARTED THAN THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. THEY WANT TO PUT OUT A HAND OF FRIENDSHIP TO OUR VISITORS FROM THE PRO AND I HOPE THAT IS RECOGNISED.

QUESTION: MR PATTEN, WHY DO YOU THINK DIRECTOR LU PING IS AVOIDING YOU?

GOVERNOR: I THINK YOU'LL HAVE TO ASK THEM, THERE IS A TOUCHING CONCERN AMONG SENIOR CHINESE OFFICIALS ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF MY PROGRAMME. BUT MY PROGRAMME, AS YOU KNOW, CAN GET BUSIER AND BUSIER AS IT DOES WEEK AFTER WEEK.

QUESTION: DO YOU HAVE A MESSAGE.... XI YANG AS AN INTERNATIONAL.....?

GOVERNOR: I THINK MY MESSAGE IS THE SAME AS THAT OF THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG. WE WERE VERY DISTRESSED BY WHAT HAPPENED. WE WISH THAT HE HAD BEEN TREATED LENIENTLY. ABOVE ALL

NOW, WHAT WE WANT FROM CHINESE OFFICIALS IS CLARITY ABOUT THE RULES AND REGULATIONS UNDER WHICH JOURNALISTS, NOT LEAST JOURNALISTS FROM HONG KONG, ARE TO OPERATE IN CHINA. THAT'S NOT VERY MUCH TO ASK. BUT WE DO ASK IT. I THINK THE WHOLE COMMUNITY ASKS IT VERY INSISTENTLY. I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT XI YANG WON'T HAVE TO SPEND AS LONG IN PRISON AS THE COURT SENTENCE SUGGESTED. WE OBVIOUSLY FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT THOSE MATTERS BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A FREE SOCIETY IN HONG KONG. WE HAVE A FREE PRESS, ONE OF THE FREEST IN THE WORLD, IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY'S LIFE. PEOPLE SHOULD

THE RECOGNISE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FREEDOMS WE ENJOY AND THE PROSPERITY AND STABILITY WE ENJOY. IF YOU TRY TO TAKE AWAY THOSE FREEDOMS, HONG KONG WOULD BE LESS STABLE AND LESS PROSPEROUS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

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