XN000022-1995-05-22 — Page 2

Transcript of Governor's media session

Following is the transcript of the media session by the Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten, today (Monday) after meeting with members of the disciplined services who had participated in the Whitehead operation over the weekend:

Governor: I wanted to come down to the CSD Headquarters this morning to tell representatives of our Correctional Services Department, of our Police and of our Fire Services, representatives of those men and women who took part in the operation over the weekend, how grateful I am and the Chief Secretary is and the whole community is for the exemplary way in which they carried out their responsibilities at the weekend, carried them out with great courage and considerable restraint in the face of the most violent provocation.

We often speak about the high quality of our disciplined services in Hong Kong. We saw just how right we are to celebrate their competence and courage in the operations at the weekend. I was kept in touch throughout the weekend about what was happening and I never had any doubt at all that the right thing to do was to support the operational decisions that were taken by our commanders on the spot. I have and had complete faith in their judgment about the best way to carry through the operation. It is extremely difficult for our disciplined services and to carry through an operation like this. But we are absolutely determined to implement our policy of securing the return of Vietnamese migrants to Vietnam. Seventy thousand have left Hong Kong so far. There are still just over 20,000 in our camps. We are determined within the terms of the Comprehensive Programme of Action to see them go back to Vietnam. There is no reason at all why they shouldn't do so. And we will do everything required to make a success of our policy,

There are no no-go areas in Hong Kong and that includes the Vietnamese migrant camps. I'm very pleased that we can continue to count on our disciplined services to make sure that this policy is carried through to the maximum effect.

Question: Governor Patten, what is your response to the Refugee Concern Hong Kong? They urged you to set up a commission of inquiry to investigate the gas bomb fired to Vietnamese children.