XN000022-1994-05-16 — Page 3

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MONDAY, MAY 16, 1994

HE SAID. THE ADMINISTRATION WAS STILL REVIEWING SEVEN PIECES LEGISLATION, INCLUDING THE EMERGENCY REGULATIONS ORDINANCE.

THE GOVERNOR ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE ADMINISTRATION AMENDING LAWS WHICH MIGHT INFRINGE PRESS FREEDOM.

OF

WAS

HE SAID GOVERNMENT REVIEW, WHICH WAS STILL UNDER

WAY, HAD IN FACT COVERED 27 ORDINANCES. THE ADMINISTRATION HAS AMENDED THREE OF THEM AND HAVE PLANNED. TO AMEND A. FURTHER SEVEN BY THE END OF THE YEAR.

"WE

ACCEPT THAT SOME PROVISIONS IN THESE ORDINANCES DO IMPOSE RESTRICTIONS ON THE PRESS; BUT THESE ARE RESTRICTIONS DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE PRIVACY OF INDIVIDUALS, AND THE GOVERNMENT CLEARLY HAS A PARALLEL DUTY TO PROTECT THAT UNDER THE LAW AS WELL.

"I REPEAT THAT BY THE END OF THE YEAR WE AIM TO HAVE AMENDED AT LEAST 10 ORDINANCES WHICH COULD HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS IN HONG KONG," THE GOVERNOR SAID.

GOVERNOR MEETS MEDIA

* *

THE

THE FOLLOWING IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEDIA SESSION BY GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, AFTER HIS TALK TO THE AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL THIS (MONDAY) EVENING:

QUESTION: YOU SAID IN YOUR SPEECH WHEN WE STAND UP TO HUMAN RIGHTS. WE ARE FIRM TOGETHER THAT WE ARE A SINGLE HUMAN COMMUNITY. NOW, YOU YOURSELF HAVE SPOKEN ON THE MATTER OF XI YANG, OUR COLLEAGUE, AND AMBASSADOR MCLAREN HAS INVESTIGATED IN THAT. CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO US PLEASE WHY LEGCO LAST WEEK, THE EX-OFFICIO PEOPLE ABSTAINED ON THAT PARTICULAR MATTER, AND WAS THAT SENDING A KIND OF MESSAGE TO PERING, OR WHAT WERE

+

?

WE

NO

THE

GOVERNOR: NO IT WAS BECAUSE THE MOTION WAS DIRECTED AT THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PRC RATHER THAN THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG BUT THERE'S DOUBT, ~. 1 THINK, IN ANYBODY'S MIND THAT WE HAVE MADE OUR VIEWS ON ΑΙ YANG CASE PLAIN. WE WERE VERY DISTURBED BY THE SENTENCE THAT WAS HANDED OUT AND

WERE VERY DISTURBED BY THE OPAQUENESS OF THE PROCEEDINGS. WE RECOGNISE, OF COURSE THAT THESE ARE CHINESE RULES APPLIED IN CHINESE COURTS BUT WE'VE ARGUED AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY OF OUR PEOPLE, OUR JOURNALISTS WORKING IN CHINA, IT'S REASONABLE FOR CHINESE AUTHORITIES TO SAY EXACTLY WHAT THE RULES AND REGULATIONS THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW, ARE. WE'VE MADE THAT CLEAR, SEVERAL OF US, MYSELF, THE CHIEF SECRETARY AND OTHERS, ON NUMBER OF OCCASIONS.

QUESTION: HOW CAN YOU ON ONE HAND TALK OF THE IMPORTANCE OF HUMAN RIGHT'S FOR HONG KONG, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, HONG KONG IS EFFECTIVELY UNDERMINING THOSE IN THE UNITED STATES FOR SEEKING TO USE MFN TO PUT PRESSURE ON BEIJING TO IMPROVE HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA?

/GOVERNOR: