XN000022-1994-07-01 — Page 6

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FRIDAY, JULY 1, 1994

WORKING

FAC AND

FOURTHLY, WE ARE AWAITING THE REPORT OF THE LEGAL AID GROUP AND THAT WILL BE LOOKING AT TWO ISSUES ON WHICH THE AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, I THINK, IN PARTICULAR PLACE A GOOD DEAL OF EMPHASIS, THE FIRST IS WHETHER OR NOT PEOPLE CAN AFFORD TO TAKE BILL OF RIGHTS CASES INTO THE COURTS AND THE SECOND IS WHETHER THE LEGAL AID INSTITUTIONAL MACHINERY SHOULD BE INDEPENDENT OF GOVERNMENT OR NOT. FIFTHLY, WE ARE REVIEWING ALL OUR LEGISLATION TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT IT COMPLIES WITH THE BILL OF RIGHTS. WE'VE STILL GOT A GOOD DEAL MORE WORK TO DO ON THAT SCORE AND WE'RE ALSO GIVING THE COMMISSIONER WHO DEALS WITH ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINTS, GREATER POWERS. WE ARE ALSO PROVIDING MORE RESOURCES FOR HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION. WE ARE PROPOSING TO SPEND ABOUT $20 MILLION ON THAT SUBJECT OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS. I THINK IT'S GENERALLY RECOGNISED THAT, IT'S A POINT THAT'S BEEN MADE BY AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, THAT THE QUALITY OF OUR MATERIAL ON HUMAN RIGHTS IS AS GOOD AS THAT PROVIDED ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IS AS WIDELY AVAILABLE AS POSSIBLE. SO, WE WERE SETTING UP A TEAM, SPECIAL TEAM WHO WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT AND PROVIDING MORE RESOURCES FOR THAT WORK. SO, RIGHT ACROSS THE BOARD,

WE HAVE A VIGOROUS ACTION PROGRAMME WHICH WE'LL BE IMPLEMENTING. IT INVOLVES LEGISLATION. IT INVOLVES ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION AND IT INVOLVES CASH AND IT'S STARTED NOW AND WILL CONTINUE BECAUSE WE, I REPEAT, FEEL AS STRONGLY ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF CEMENTING THE FOUNDATIONS OF OUR HUMAN RIGHTS IN HONG KONG AS ANYONE.

QUESTION: GOVERNOR, WHAT DO YOU

IS THE PERCEPTION THAT THE REAL REASON THAT YOU DON'T WANT A HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION IS THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO ANGER CHINA, AND THAT THE REAL REASON WHY YOU'RE GETTING INTO AGREEMENTS NOW IS THAT YOU'RE BACKING DOWN AND ALLOWING THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS TO GET ON?

THE

GOVERNOR: I SAID EARLIER TODAY IN ANOTHER INTERVIEW THAT ONE OF BESETTING DISEASES OF PUBLIC DISCUSSION IN HONG KONG IS CONSPIRACY THEORY AND I THINK THAT IT'S MORE SENSIBLE TO JUDGE BY WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS THAN TO INVENT NEW CONSPIRACY THEORIES. I'M DELIGHTED THAT THIS WEEK WE HAVE GOT OUR LEGISLATION ON ELECTORAL MATTERS THROUGH. 1'M DELIGHTED THAT THIS WEEK WE'VE GOT AN AGREEMENT ON DEFENCE LANDS. I'M DELIGHTED THAT THIS WEEK WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SET OUT IN TERMS THE WAY WE INTEND REACTING ON THE FAC REPORT.

QUESTION: BUT CHINA HAS ATTACKED YOUR PROPOSAL, WHAT'S YOUR COMMENT ON THE BEIJING ACCUSATION?

GOVERNOR: CHINA HAS ATTACKED QUITE A LOT OF PROPOSALS THAT WE'VE MADE. LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. A FEW WEEKS AGO, WE ANNOUNCED ANOTHER SET OF PROPOSALS WHICH HAVE SOME RELEVANCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. WE ANNOUNCED THE PROPOSALS ON INCREASING THE OPENNESS AND TRANSPARENCY OF GOVERNMENT. WE ANNOUNCED THE PROPOSALS FOR ESTABLISHING A CODE OF PRACTICE WHICH WILL, ENSURE THAT EVERY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT IS OPENED UP A GREAT DEAL MORE TO PUBLIC SCRUTINY. AND MANY OF

YOU, WHEN I ANSWERED QUESTIONS LIKE THIS, SAID THIS IS SPINELESS, THIS ISN'T GOING FAR ENOUGH. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE PROPOSALS WERE ATTACKED BY SOME CHINESE SPOKEMEN AS GOING A GREAT DEAL TOO FAR. I THINK THAT ON THAT ISSUE AND ON THE MATTERS I HAVE SET OUT TODAY, THE ACTION THAT WE'VE TAKEN IS A SENSIBLE, MIDDLE ROAD FOR HONG KONG. I THINK IT'S IN THE INTEREST OF HONG KONG AND I THINK IT REPRESENTS THE BEST AND MOST EFFECTIVE WAY OF SECURING HUMAN RIGHTS IN HONG KONG,

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