XN000022-1994-10-10 — Page 11

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1994

I GO BACK TO SOMETHING I SAID EARLIER

HE

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AND WHILE I'M JUST

COMPLETING THE QUESTION, I'M GOING TO ASK CHRIS IF HE'D LIKE TO ASK THE NEXT QUESTION - YES,

THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL FOR ME. AND NO POEMS - NO POEMS!

WOULD ! BECAUSE CHRIS WAITS OUTSIDE BUT YOU'VE GOT TO BE SHORT TODAY, CHRIS

IMPORTANT

I'D JUST LIKE TO, JUST TO FINISH, IT IS CRUCIALLY THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT CHILDREN ARE TAUGHT USING THE RIGHT LANGUAGE. I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY PARENTS SHOULD OFTEN FEEL THAT A CHILD IS MORE LIKELY TO LEARN GOOD ENGLISH IF SHE OR HE IS GOING TO A SCHOOL IN WHICH THE LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION IS ENGLISH. BUT I THINK YOU KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT ALWAYS THE CASE AND YOU CAN LEARN BETTER ENGLISH, VERY OFTEN, IF YOU'VE GOT GOOD SUPPORT AND GOOD TEACHERS IN A SCHOOL WHERE OTHER SUBJECTS ARE TAUGHT IN CANTONESE. YOU COULD SAY THE SAME ABOUT PUTONGHUA. BUT IT IS A DIFFICULT POINT, IT'S ONE WE HAVE TO EXPLAIN CAREFULLY TO PARENTS. WE HAVE TO CARRY PARENTS WITH US BECAUSE I THINK THAT IN ANY COMMUNITY LIKE THIS, PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IS ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL TO EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS. BUT GIVE ME THE EXAMPLES AND WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU.

QUESTION:

I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT YOU REJECTED MISS ANNA WU'S DEMAND TO PRESENT HER PRIVATE BILL TO SET UP A HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION TO IMPLEMENT THE HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES. BECAUSE WE'RE GOING BACK ΤΟ CHINA, THE SOVEREIGNTY, AND WE KNOW THAT THE HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD IN CHINA IS NOT SO GOOD. DO YOU THINK IT IS A RESPONSIBLE WAY

TO TREAT THIS MATTER? DO YOU HAVE TO SEEK CHINESE CONSENT?

GOVERNOR:

NO, WE HAVE TO DO WHAT WE THINK IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF HONG KONG. BUT IT'S AN IMPORTANT QUESTION AND PERHAPS I CAN IT THE ATTENTION WHICH YOUR QUESTIONS ALWAYS DESERVE, CHRIS.

GIVE

WE'VE REJECTED A HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, BUT WE HAVEN'T REJECTED THE IMPORTANCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES, AND IT'S IMPORTANT ΤΟ MAKE THAT DISTINCTION. WE ARE ATTEMPTING, IN A NUMBER OF WAYS, то ENSURE THAT HUMAN RIGHTS ARE PROPERLY PRESERVED AND PROTECTED IN HONG KONG. THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF OUR BILL OF RIGHTS. IT'S THE PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW THAT WE'RE UNDERTAKING OF ALL THOSE LAWS WHICH HAVE SOME IMPACT ON FREEDOM OF SPEECH. IT'S THE PURPOSE OF THE CODE OF PRACTICE ON GOVERNMENT INFORMATION THAT WE'RE INTRODUCING. IT'S THE PURPOSE OF OUR DECISION TO SET UP AN INDEPENDENT LEGAL AID SERVICE COUNCIL AND TO EXTEND LEGAL AID. IT'S THE PURPOSE OF OUR DETERMINATION TO ENSURE THAT OUR COURTS CAN DEAL WITH HUMAN RIGHTS CASES MORE RAPIDLY. ALL THOSE ARE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF OUR DETERMINATION TO ENSURE THAT HUMAN RIGHTS ARE PROPERLY PROTECTED.

WE DIDN'T THINK THAT THE PROPOSAL TO SET UP A HUGE NEW INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT WAS THE BEST WAY OF PROCEEDING. WE THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD CAUSE A GREAT DEAL OF CONTROVERSY IN THE COMMUNITY, WE THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE EXPENSIVE, AND WE THOUGHT THAT IT WOULDN'T ACHIEVE ANYTHING THAT WE WEREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE BY TAKING A NUMBER OF SENSIBLE STEPS, COVERING, SOME OF THEM, VERY MUCH THE SAME GROUND THAT ANNA WU IS TALKING ABOUT. WE'RE GOING TO SET UP AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES COMMISSION; WE'RE GOING TO LEGISLATE, I HOPE, ON DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THE DISABLED. SO I DON'T THINK THAT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US AND ANNA WU AND SOME OTHER LEGISLATORS, IS ONE OF OBJECTIVE. I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE BEST MEANS OF ACHIEVING THAT OBJECTIVE.

/WE HAVEN'T