XN000022-1994-11-05 — Page 5

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1994

GOVERNOR'S COMMENT ON FANLING LODGE SECURITY

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THE FOLLOWING IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEDIA SESSION BY THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, AFTER RECEIVING HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES AT THE AIRPORT THIS (SATURDAY) EVENING.

GOVERNOR: HOW ARE YOU ? AS I THINK MANY OF YOU KNOW, FANLING LODGE DOESN'T HAVE VERY MUCH SECURITY BECAUSE THAT'S HOW WE CHOOSE TO LEAD OUR LIVES, AND THAT WILL REMAIN THE SITUATION. SO WHEN ANYONE PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT IS GOING TO STAY THERE AS THIS WEEKEND, A FEW HOURS BEFORE, WE PUT IN AS MUCH SECURITY AS IS NECESSARY, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, A PLATOON OF THE TACTICAL UNIT WHO SECURE THE PROPERTY AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS SECURE. THIS MORNING, SOME HOURS BEFORE THE POLCIE TACTICAL UNIT WENT INTO FANLING, A COUPLE OF PEOPLE WHO CLAIMED TO BE JOURNALISTS BROKE INTO THE GROUNDS AND BROKE INTO THE HOUSE. THE HOUSEKEEPERS, WHO'RE NATURALLY VERY WORRIED, ALERTED THE POLICE AND THE TWO GENTLEMEN WERE ARRESTED. IT ISN'T, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST TIME THAT PEOPLE HAD BROKEN INTO THE GROUNDS AT FANLING. IT'S HAPPENED BEFORE, THERE'VE BEEN PHOTOGRAPHS, IT'S A PLANK AND NO BIG DEAL BUT IT DOES CAUSE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF AGGRAVATION ΤΟ THE POLICE. POLICE SIDE INVESTIGATIONS ARE NOW GOING ENQUIRIES ABOUT WHAT'S LIKELY TO HAPPEN TO THE TWO ALLEGED JOURNALISTS YOU HAVE TO PUT TO THE POLICE.

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BUT I'D JUST WANT TO MAKE TWO OR THREE POINTS. FIRST OF ALL, ANY SUGGESTION THAT THIS PLANK WAS JUSTIFIED BY CONCERNS ABOUT THE PRINCE OF WALES' SECURITY ARE, OF COURSE, WHOLLY SPURIOUS BECAUSE THE SECURITY WASN'T APPLIED UNTIL SOME HOURS AFTER THE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE. SECONDLY, IT IS AN INCIDENT WHICH HAS INEVITABLY CAUSED A GREAT DEAL OF EXTRA WORK FOR THE POLICE, AND THIS HAS BEEN FIGHT CRIME DAY. I JUST HOPE THAT THOSE WHO GAVE THE THUMBS TO THIS ENTERPRISE WILL ABLE TO JUSTIFY THE EXTRA COSTS THAT IT HAS INVOLVED TO THE HONG KONG TAXPAYERS, AND THE AMOUNT OF ADDITIONAL POLICE TIME WHICH HAS BEEN INVOLVED, TAKING POLICE AWAY FROM OTHER RATHER MORE RESPONSIBLE DUTIES, THIRDLY, OF COURSE, IF THESE JOURNALISTS HAVE TRIED THIS IF THEY ARE JOURNALISTS, WHEN THE POLICE TACTICAL UNIT WERE THERE, COULD HAVE LED TO AN EXTREMELY UNPLEASANT INCIDENT INDEED, AND THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN WHOLLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT, FINALLY, THIS AFTERNOON I WAS SHOPPING IN KOWLOON BAY, MONG KOK AND PEDDER BUILDINGS IN CENTRAL. AND I WAS SHOPPING WITH ONE POLICEMAN AND MY FAMILY. AND WHILE I WAS GOING AROUND PEDDER BUILDINGS, SOMEBODY CAME UP TO ME AND SAID: "IT'S VERY NICE TO SEE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO AROUND WITH A LOT OF BODYGUARDS." I SUPPOSE THAT'S ONE OF THE PLEASURES OF LIVING IN HONG KONG. WELL, IT IS. 1 DON'T INTEND TO SPEND MY LIFE SURROUNDED BY BARBED WIRE, OR SURROUNDED BY UNNECESSARY SECURITY. THE POLICE HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO IN WHAT IS ONE OF THE MOST LAW-ABIDING AND

AND SAFE (OMMUNITIES IN THE WORLD. YOU KNOW, AS WELL AS I DO, BUT IF YOU'VE ASKED BY YOUR EDITORS TO SEE IF YOU COULD HAVE GOT INTO FANLING, YOU COULD HAVE PROBABLY DONE WITH NO TROUBLE AT ALL. IT DOESN'T SEEM TO ME THAT IT'S

A RESPONSIBLE THING FOR ANYBODY TO DO. 1 BELIEVE STRONGLY IN FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. BUT I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE SHOULD BEHAVE RESPONSIBLY. AND I DON'T THINK THAT MANY PEOPLE THINK THAT THEY'LL HAVE DONE SO ON THIS OCCASION, IF THAT IS THE GENTLEMEN IN QUESTION ARE FROM YOUR PROFESSION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

VERY

PRESS WILL

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