XN000022-1996-10-09 — Page 2

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Transcript of the Governor's media session

Following is the transcript of the media session given by the Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten, after visiting the Eastern District this (Wednesday) afternoon:

Governor: I am delighted to have made another visit to Eastern District which is the largest in Hong Kong, as you know, and to have seen some of the developments in the district and to have a chance of talking to the chairman and district board members about some of the challenges which they face.

I shall be hoping to return sometime during the District Board's Festival which I know has a very high reputation in Hong Kong.

Question: Governor, I am going to ask that earlier today there was a demonstration at the Japanese Consulate in which demonstrators actually broke into the Consulate and sort of disrupted the activities in there. Now is the Government going to take a harder line with this and what are you going to do to protect the Consulate?

Governor: I will be asking for a full report about what happened. What I have heard so far is serious. Let me make one point abundantly plain. I recognise how strongly feelings run on the particular issue which has been the focus of demonstrations and I will always defend absolutely people's right to express their views, to demonstrate their views, with this qualification: they must always act within the law. If people today have not acted within the law then that lets down them and lets down the cause which they believe in. And if there has been a break-in to diplomatic premises there is absolutely no justification for it whatsoever.

Hong Kong is one of the greatest international cities in the world. What sort of message do we send to others, what sort of message do we send to the international community, if the sort of lawlessness which has been reported today is reported around the world and if it happens again? So I very much hope that there will be nothing like this again, and I repeat, I will be asking for a full report.

Question (follow-up): Are things out of hand, do you think, now?

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Governor: No, I don't think they are. But I repeat, however strong people's views are · and we recognise that there are very strong views they should be always, always, acting within the law and not breaking the law. It's the law and the rule of law which are the backbone of a free society like Hong Kong.