XN000022-1996-11-21 — Page 16

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I hope we can continue to earn that reputation for moderation over the coming months, just as much as I hope passionately that nobody in the future will ever seek to constrain the rights and freedoms which are given people under the Bill of Rights and apparently are given them under the Basic Law.

Dr Yeung Sum (follow-up question in Chinese): Thank you, Mr President. The Governor mentioned the Japanese Consulate. In fact those involved made a public apology afterwards and I think that was appropriate enough. I also agree that the Consulate is a special place. I am sure in future the members of the public would pay more attention to that point.

Just now you mentioned the Bill of Rights and future policing to be the job of the police and you also appealed to the public to remain calm and cool when they engage in demonstrations. But, Mr Governor, I hope you would see this: if there is excessive use of force by the police that also does not bode well for a free society like Hong Kong because we already have the Bill of Rights. So I hope you won't just give a lopsided view. Because I was involved in demonstrations and protests myself and I always knew how to conduct myself but I hope when you look at this issue you will look at both sides of the issue.

The Police have taken a lot of video-tapes of the incident and they have plenty of tapes on that. So, Mr Governor, if there is nothing wrong, fine. But at least try to learn a lesson from that, just like you want to leam a lesson from the way the fire incident was handled just now. I think that is only a fair request. So please go through all the video-tapes taken by the police. If you do not have time ask someone you trust, ask your deputy to look at the tapes. But the way they treated the petitioners. they actually barricaded them and people could not even go to the toilet. There were three layers of police officers. So please take a look at the tapes.

I agree with you that we have the Bill of Rights, we are an open society and we must exercise restraint when we demonstrate but at the same time, I hope you will look at the other side of the coin. I want you to see whether the police overreacted in the case. If not, then it is fine. So would you not take some time to look at those tapes?

Governor: I will certainly consider that suggestion by the honourable gentleman but I do not believe that looking at the tapes would affect what I have said about the Commissioner and the police.

If I can add one point. I greatly respect the dignified way and the eloquent way in which the honourable gentleman makes points about which he feels passionately strongly. And some of those points we share. I think that his leadership should help to ensure the moderation and responsibility which I have mentioned.