XN000022-1994-06-01 — Page 3

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 1994

GOVERNOR: I VERY MUCH HOPE NOT AND WE WILL DO ALL THAT WE CAN AS A GOVERNMENT TO TRY TO ENSURE THAT IT DOESN'T GET WORSE. FOR EXAMPLE, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING ALL THOSE ORDINANCES WHICH MIGHT IN CIRCUMSTANCES, WHICH IS DIFFICULT TO IMAGINE, BE ABUSED AND UNDERMINE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. WE'VE AGREED ON A PROGRAMME OF REFORM AND IF THE JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION THINK THERE ARE OTHER ORDINANCES IN ADDITION TO THOSE WHICH WE'VE PROMISED TO LOOK AT, WHICH NEED REVIEW, THEN WE ARE PREPARED TO LOOK AT THOSE AS WELL, ALWAYS BEARING IN MIND THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING PRIVACY OF THE INDIVIDUAL.

BUT I REPEAT, HONG KONG IS A COMMUNITY WHICH VALUES ITS FREE PRESS, WHICH VALUES ITS BROADCASTING ORGANISATIONS AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL REGARD DECISION BY THE SIX VERY PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS AS A SAD ONE FOR THE TERRITORY.

QUESTION:

SIR, WHY HAS EXCO DECIDED TO TURN DOWN THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION AND EXISTING. ?

GOVERNOR:

4

EXCO HASN'T MADE FINAL DECISION.

EXCO IS STILL DISCUSSING

A NUMBER OF MEASURES WHICH HAVE A BEARING ON HUMAN RIGHTS. BUT WE WILL BE MAKING AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WHICH IS INVOLVED IN THIS WHOLE DEBATE, ONE OF THE CENTRAL QUESTIONS, WE WILL MAKING AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PRESS CONFERENCE ON FRIDAY. AND IN THE MEANTIME, DISCUSSION IN EXCO AND IN THE ADMINISTRATION ON RELATED ISSUES IS CONTINUING.

QUESTION

BUT DO YOU THINK IT IS TOO MUCH TO SPEND $ 60 MILLION SET UP A HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION.

ΤΟ

GOVERNOR : I AM NOT ADDING TO THE ANSWER I'VE GIVEN.

QUESTION : DO YOU THINK THAT A HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION CAN..

GOVERNOR

I AM NOT ANSWERING.. I HAVE SAID THAT WE ARE HAVING A PRESS CONFERENCE ON FRIDAY ON ONE ASPECT OF THE WHOLE QUESTION AND Ι DON'T THINK IT'S HELPFUL OF ME TO SAY ANY MORE WHILE DISCUSSIONS ON OTHER MATTER ARE CONTINUING.

QUESTION : DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THE AIRPORT PROBLEM WILL BE SOLVED BEFORE THIS SUMMER OR JULY ?

GOVERNOR

I WOULD LIKE IT TO BE RESOLVED BEFORE HALF PAST FIVE. I REALLY DON'T THINK THAT THERE IS VERY MUCH IF ANYTHING BETWEEN THE VARIOUS PARTIES TO NEGOTIATIONS AT THE MOMENT. YOU CAN SEE LOOKING OUT FROM THE FRONT OF THIS SPECTACULAR DEVELOPMENT THE AIRPORT BEING BUILT. BY ANYBODY ELSE'S STANDARD, IT'S BEING BUILT RATHER RAPIDLY. BY OUR STANDARD, WE COULD DO EVEN BETTER IF WE HAD AN OVERALL AGREEMENT. I WELCOME WHAT MR ZHU RONGJI AND DIRECTOR LU PING HAVE SAID ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF COOPERATION ON ECONOMIC MATTERS AND ON THE AIRPORT AND ON THE CONTAINER TERMINAL. I WHOLLY ENDORSE MR ZHU RONGJI SAID ABOUT THE REQUIREMENT OF TWO HANDS IN ORDER CLAP.

BOTH

WHAT TO

QUESTION # CONCERNING LAND AUCTION LAST WEEK, COULD YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT WHAT SPECIFIC MEASURES WILL THE GOVERNMENT CARRY OUT IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE SAME THING HAPPENING AGAIN?

/GOVERNOR: