XN000022-1994-06-29 — Page 3

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 1994

QUESTION: MAY

2

WHAT THE

MATTER BE WE PUT THE QUESTION THIS WAY. NO OUTCOME IS, ARE YOU WELL PREPARED FOR THE OUTCOME NO MATTTER WHAT WOULD BE?

IT

IT'S

GOVERNOR: I THINK THE ISSUE IS BEING RESOLVED IN THE RIGHT WAY.

KONG IN BEING RESOLVED BY THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG

I THE OPEN. IT'S NOT BEING DECIDED IN SECRET BEHIND CLOSED DOORS AND THINK THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT STEP FORWARD FOR HONG KONG AND 1 LOOKING FORWARD TO SEE THE RESULT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AM

-

IMPORTANT AND HISTORIC DAY FOR LEGCO

THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, SAID THIS (WEDNESDAY) AFTERNOON THAT TODAY WAS AN IMPORTANT AND HISTORIC DAY FOR COUNCIL IN TAKING DECISIONS THAT WOULD HAVE A CONSIDERABLE EFFECT ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG.

THE

LEGISLATIVE

RESPONDING TO MEDIA QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DEBATE ON THE POLITICAL REFORM BILL IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AFTER HIS VISIT TO THE KWAI TSING DISTRICT, MR PATTEN SAID: "THE FACT THAT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IS TAKING THOSE FINAL DECISIONS IS, IN MY JUDGMENT, EXACTLY AS IT SHOULD BE."

NOTING THAT THE MATTER WAS BEING DISCUSSED OPENLY AND PUBLICLY, THE GOVERNOR SAID THE ISSUE WAS BEING RESOLVED IN THE RIGHT WAY.

"IT'S BEING RESOLVED BY THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG IN THE OPEN," MR PATTEN SAID.

"IT'S NOT BEING DECIDED IN SECRET BEHIND CLOSED DOORS AND I THINK THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT STEP FORWARD FOR HONG KONG."

COVERAGE OF HISTORY TEXTBOOKS

SHOULD

IN RESPONSE TO PRESS ENQUIRIES ON WHETHER RECENT EVENTS BE COVERED IN HISTORY TEXTBOOKS, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR DOMINIC S W WONG, HAS ISSUED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT:

"FOLLOWING A DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PUBLISHER CONCERNED, THE LATTER HAS AGREED WITH THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT THAT, AS FAR AS HISTORY TEXTBOOKS ARE CONCERNED, EVENTS WHICH TOOK PLACE WITHIN THE LAST 20 YEARS AND WHICH HAVE NOT YET BEEN ESTABLISHED BY OBJECTIVE ANALYSES, VERIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT, SHOULD NOT BE COVERED. TWENTY YEARS IS CONSIDERED TO BE A REASONABLE MINIMUM PERIOD.

+

AFTER

WE HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT THE PUBLISHER HAS DECIDED CONSULTATION WITH EDUCATIONISTS AND EXPERTS IN THE HISTORY SUBJECT, TO REMOVE THE SECTION IN QUESTION FROM THE FINAL VERSION OF THE HISTORY TEXTBOOK CONCERNED WHILE MAKING OTHER AMENDMENTS.

/THE EDUCATION