XN000022-1994-05-19 — Page 2

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CS SPEAKS TO MEDIA

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THURSDAY, MAY 19, 1994

BY THE

THE FOLLOWING IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEDIA SESSION CHIEF SECRETARY, MRS ANSON CHAN, AFTER HER VISIT TO THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT THIS (THURSDAY) AFTERNOON: -

AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. I'VE

BEEN

VERY

PLEASED

THIS VERY

GOOD MRS CHAN: AFTERNOON TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE FOR MYSELF SOME OF THE WIDE RANGE OF SERVICES AND FACILITIES THAT THE URBAN COUNCIL PROVIDES.

IMPROVEMENT IN I THINK OVER THE YEARS WE'VE SEEN A VERY SUBSTANTIAL THE STANDARD OF SERVICES PROVIDED. THE URBAN COUNCIL CONTINUES TO DO A HONG GREAT DEAL TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE PEOPLE HERE IN

WILL SPEND KONG AND IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, THEY ESTIMATE THAT THEY

WILL INCLUDE A SOME $4.7 BILLION ON CAPITAL WORKS PROGRAMME WHICH WHOLE

OF FACILITIES, SPORTS STADIUM,

FACILITIES, CULTURAL MARKETS, PLAYGROUNDS AND SWIMMING POOLS, ETC.

TAK.

RANGE

THE

WE DO ON ITS

CLEAR THERE

HAI HO- I'D LIKE TO MAKE A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT THE LITTLE BOY,

IN THINK

EVERYONE IN HONG KONG, I

EVERYBODY

INCLUDING

OF THIS ADMINISTRATION, HAS A GREAT DEAL OF SYMPATHY FOR THE PLIGHT

HIS FAMILY.

THOSE BOY AND

IT WAS A VERY DIFFICULT DECISION FOR

WE INVOLVED TO MAKE BUT WE HAVE A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM ON OUR HANDS.

HAVE A ESTIMATE THAT THERE ARE SOME 300,000 TO 400,000 CHILDREN WHO PARENT IN HONG KONG. SO, CLEARLY WE CANNOT ALLOW SUCH LARGE NUMBERS TO WILL ENSURE COME INTO HONG KONG UNCHECKED. WE'VE DEVISED RULES THAT THAT THESE CHILDREN CAN APPLY FOR ONE-WAY PERMIT TO JOIN THEIR PARENTS HERE IN HONG KONG IN AN ORDERLY FASHION AND IN THIS WAY ENSURE THAT WE TREAT EVERYBODY EQUITABLY. OF COURSE, THAT IS NOT TO SAY THAT

APPEAL NOT LOOK SYMPATHETICALLY AT EACH AND EVERY CASE OF MERITS AND IN THE CASE OF THIS LITTLE BOY, LET ME MAKE IT QUITE THAT THE GOVERNOR LOOKED AT THE CASE HIMSELF BUT DECIDED WAS NO GROUNDS TO ACCEPT THE APPEAL. AS YOU KNOW, THE EXHAUSTED ALL LEGAL CHANNELS. THEY HAVE APPEALED TO THE HIGH COURT, TO APPEAL. IT THE INDEPENDENT IMMIGRATION TRIBUNAL AND TO THE COURT OF

WAS FINALLY HAS BEEN TWICE TO THE DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION AND IT DECIDED BY

FOR SECRETARY THE

ACTING SECURITY,

UNDER DELEGATED AUTHORITY THAT THE BOY SHOULD BE SENT BACK. IF WE ACCEPTED THIS BOY TO STAY IN HONG KONG, IT WOULD BE PATENTLY VERY UNFAIR TO THE OF OTHER CHILDREN THAT WE HAVE SENT BACK. LET ME JUST GIVE IDEAS OF THE SIZE OF THE PROBLEM. SINCE 1991, WE HAVE SENT BACK 2.200 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHILDREN, WHILST ON THE ONE CONSIDER CASES SYMPATHETICALLY, WE MUST ALSO STRIKE A BALANCE THE NEED TO DEAL IN A HUMANE WAY WITH APPEALS BUT ALSO DEAL WITH ALL THE CASES.

THAT PARENTS HAVE

THOUSANDS YOU SOMB

SOME

HAND, WE MUST

BETWEEN EQUITABLY

CHOICE OF THE MOTHER CHINA AND HAVE BEEN AND AUNT.

IT IS

IS THE I WANT TO MAKE ONE OTHER POINT AND THAT SPLITTING THE FAMILY HAS NOT BEEN MADE BY THE GOVERNMENT. DECIDED IN 1988 TO LEAVE BEHIND THREE OF HER CHILDREN IN BOY SINCE THEN,

THE THREE CHILDREN INCLUDING THE LITTLE LOOKED AFTER BY HIS MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER AND BY HIS UNCLE 50, FIRST OF ALL, THE GOVERNMENT HAS NOT SPLIT THE FAMILY AND PERHAPS STRESSING THE FACT A LITTLE TOO FAR TO SUGGEST THAT DOES NOT HAVE PROPER CARE. OF COURSE, WE NOPE THAT THE BOY WILL FOR A ONE-WAY PERMIT IN THE USUAL WAY AND THAT VERY SOON, HE WILL ABLE TO JOIN HIS PARENTS HERE IN HONG KONG.

THE BOY APPLY

BE

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