XN000022-1997-04-24 — Page 10

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Dr Law Chi-kwong (in Chinese): Mr President, the Governor has not responded to the first part of my question. It seems that he is reluctant to respond to my point concerning February 27. According to what he said, I think he underestimated the seriousness of the problem. On that day he said that there was publicity and publicity was more effective than the publicity launched by the snakeheads. That was the analogy he made on that day. Now I know that there will be publicity in the future but I am sure that snakeheads will effectively spread rumours and their efforts will be more effective than those undertaken by the Administration. So does the Administration have effective measures because after February 27, we had over 600 illegal immigrants coming in March? It's true that fewer people have surrendered themselves to the Immigration Department but it doesn't mean that the number of illegal immigrants has decreased, so do you have any resolute measures to tackle the problem please?

Governor: Well, I'm prepared to concede that my predictive capacities weren't as extensive as the Honourable gentleman's. But the one message, it seems to me, important to send out clearly in order to reduce the attractiveness, or so-called attractiveness, of whatever offers snakeheads offer, the most important message to send out is that Hong Kong is going to continue to police its immigration regulations vigorously. If we take actions which make it look as though the rumours of amnesties or slackening in the rigour of our procedures, may have some basis in fact, if we act in that sort of way then it will play into the hands of the snakeheads. Every indication that the Government may change its mind inevitably would condemn more children to the dangers of the snakehead operations and that's why we have to be absolutely firm as well as fair in trying to make this difficult policy stick.

Ms Margaret Ng: Mr President, may I refer to the Governor's plan or proposal to publish a blue bill on June 30, on the right of abode.

Mr President, would the Governor agree with me that the position of the Hong Kong Government about the provisional legislature's legitimacy before 1st July and after 1st July, is exactly the same?

Now the Governor said that no legislation is necessary before July 1. Legislation, I think he said, it's all right to have legislation a few weeks after July 1, but a few weeks after July 1, the legislature of the day is still the provisional legislature and so according to the Bar's view, that, the legitimacy of that legislature is still open to litigation. So that any legislation passed by them, by it. is still not completely safe.

In view of that, is there any reason why this Administration should not put the blue bill before this Council so that this Council, whose legitimacy is not in doubt, can pass that law before July 1, and so give certainty to the people of Hong Kong? Thank you Mr President.

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