XN000022-1996-07-04 — Page 4

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There's a limit to what the present Hong Kong Government can do about it except to make its views clear, as I've made my views clear today and as other officials have made their views clear in the last few days.

It's inconceivable, I assume, that the same thing could happen after 1 July, 1997, when those concerned would all, of course, be in a real sense citizens of one country, of China, and in those circumstances if anything like that was even contemplated, I'm sure that the SAR Government would want to make sure that a decision like that was reversed. I assume that it's only because they've been waiting for a meeting in order to express their point of view, that members of the preparatory committee will want to say some of these things, though they may wish to say them in private rather than in public because I don't think this has been a very happy episode in the transition. People may disagree with those who went to Peking, they may disagree with what they were saying in their petition, but I don't honestly think that anybody regards them as a horrendous threat.

Mr Albert Ho (in Chinese): Yes I fully agree with what the Governor has said but what concerns us most actually is what can we do at this point? Whether it be this side of '97 or after '97, the Hong Kong Government has the responsibility to, on behalf of us, protect our rights. We have people in Hong Kong, including Legislators, their travel documents have been arbitrarily taken away from them and their entry has been arbitrarily denied. And then of course there are also cases when people who are denied exit and they have to remain in China.

So would the Government consider taking it up at the JLG level and as to understanding, could there be a sort of memorandum of understanding, some sort of arrangement, things made clear. Because when we have people investing in China, people go to work in China, they should be prepared, they should be fully aware of what is going to happen. So could the Governor be more specific as to what can be done?

Governor: To be honest with the honourable member. I'm not quite sure what the subject would be on the JLG agenda. Would the subject be that those with Chinese travel documents should be able to travel around the world on them? I mean, of course that must be what Chinese travel documents mean and I presume there is some law in China which should govern these matters and there may be legal remedies available to honourable members at some time in China. I'm not sure but we know that there are slightly odd things that sometimes happen to people with travel documents with a Chinese chop on them. We have living in our midst a Chinese trade unionist who even though he had a valid Chinese passport is refused re-entry to China on it. Presumably because he too is regarded as some sort of threat.