XN000022-1994-07-19 — Page 3

TUESDAY, JULY 19, 1994

TRANSCRIPT OF THE GOVERNOR'S MEDIA SESSION

THE FOLLOWING IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEDIA SESSION BY THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, AFTER HIS VISIT TO OCEAN PARK THIS (TUESDAY) AFTERNOON: -

GOVERNOR: GOOD AFTERNOON. I AM VERY PLEASED TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COME TO OCEAN PARK TODAY FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE REST OF MY FAMILY. ONE OF MY DAUGHTER'S BEEN HERE PRETTY REGULARLY. IT'S A TREMENDOUS FACILITY FOR HONG KONG, ONE OF THE BEST AND MOST SUCCESSFUL THEME PARKS IN THE WORLD, OBVIOUSLY, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY TOURISTS'VE COME TO HONG KONG BUT ALSO A TREMENDOUS PLACE FOR PEOPLE IN HONG KONG TO ENJOY THEMSELVES. AND I AM VERY GRATEFUL TO THE BOARD FOR MANAGING IT SO SUCCESSFULLY, FOR MANAGING TO KEEP THE PRICES DOWN WHILE INVESTING A GREAT DEAL IN NEW FACILITIES FOR THE FUTURE. SO, I AM VERY PLEASED TO HAVE SEEN IT TODAY FOR MYSELF.

CAN I ADD ONE OTHER THING ON ANOTHER SUBJECT. I THINK THE WHOLE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN SHOCKED BY THE HORRIFIC MURDER OF A YOUNG GIRL IN TUEN MUN ON SUNDAY. THERE WAS ANOTHER ATTACK TODAY BUT I THINK THE YOUNG GIRL IN QUESTION HAS ESCAPED. I WOULD LIKE то OFFER MY CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY OF THE YOUNG GIRL WHO WAS SO BRUTALLY MURDERED. WE HAD A DISCUSSION AT THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL THIS MORNING WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE ABOUT CRIME IN GENERAL AND ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR BRUTAL ATTACK. AS I THINK YOU KNOW THE POLICE MANPOWER IN TUEN MUN HAS BEEN THE SAME AS THAT IN OTHER DISTRICTS IN HONG KONG. THERE'RE ABOUT 800 TO 900 POLICE OFFICERS DEPLOYED IN TUEN MUN BUT SINCE THE ATTACK, THE POLICE COMMISSIONER HAS DEPLOYED ADDITIONAL MAN AND WOMAN-POWER AND OBVIOUSLY THE POLICE WILL BE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO FIND WHOEVER WAS GUILTY OF THIS BRUTAL DEED AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE. I THINK ONE REASON FOR THE OUTRAGE IS THAT WE ARE USED IN HONG KONG TO LIVE IN ONE OF THE SAFEST COMMUNITIES IN THE WORLD, A LOT OF REASONS FOR BEING COMPLACENT BUT OUR CRIME FIGURES PARTICULARLY OUR VIOLENT CRIME FIGURES HAVE BEEN FALLING. THIS IS THE SAFER PLACE TO BE THAN EUROPE OR NORTH AMERICA, SAFER THAN TOKYO, SAFER EVEN THAN SINGAPORE. AND AT THE SAME TIME AS OUR CRIME FIGURES HAVE BEEN FALLING, OUR DETECTION RATES HAVE BEEN RISING SO I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY A BRUTAL ATTACK LIKE THIS DOES CAUSE PARTICULAR CONCERN AND ANGUISH IN THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO SEE OUR VERY GOOD SITUATION DETERIORATING.

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD A COUPLE OF POINTS TO THAT. FIRST OF ALL, I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE SHOULD GIVE THEIR FULL SUPPORT TO THE POLICE. I KNOW THAT THERE'S GREAT CONFIDENCE IN THE POLICE AND SHOULD ACT AS GOOD NEIGHBOURS WHENEVER POSSIBLE. WE WILL BE ASKING THE FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER AGAIN THE CASE FOR NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH SCHEME SO THAT PEOPLE CAN HELP ONE ANOTHER AND CAN CO-OPERATE WITH THE POLICE AS WELL TO KEEP OUR STREETS AND OUR HOUSING ESTATES AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE. THE HOUSING AUTHORITY ITSELF IS THE LAST POINT I'VE WANTED TO MAKE. THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS LOOKING AT SECURITY ON ESTATES. IT'S GOT A PROGRAMME FOR IMPROVING SECURITY, FOR EXAMPLE, INSTALLING GATES AND CAMERAS AND I KNOW THAT THE CHAIRMAN THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS KEEN TO SEE THAT PROGRAMME CARRY FORWARD RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE. BUT I REPEAT ALL OUR THOUGHTS GO OUT TO FAMILY OF THE YOUNG GIRL WHO WAS KILLED AND WE MUST MURDERER CAN BE FOUND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

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