TNAG-1502-FCO40-2060-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 52

4. THE UMELCO FACT-FINDING DELEGATIONS TO EUROPE, THE UNITED STATES

AND JAPAN REMAINED TO BE THE FOCUS OF PUBLIC ATTENTION. THE MEDIA

CARRIED PROMINENT REPORTS ON THE RETURN OF THE DELEGATION TO THE

UNITED STATES AND JAPAN ON 13 AUGUST. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE

DELEGATION HAD VISITED NUMEROUS NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS AND HAD

MEETINGS WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND LOCAL RESIDENTS CONCERNED

WITH THE SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF NUCLEAR POWER. THE

LEADER OF THE DELEGATION, MR. ALLEN LEE, DESCRIBED THE TRIPS AS 'FRUITFUL' Ď IN HIS VIEW, THE TRIPS HAD OPENED NEW CHANNELS OF

COMMUNICATION BETWEEN HONG KONG AND OTHER COUNTRIES SO THAT FUTURE

EXCHANGES ON NUCLEAR POWER COULD CONTINUE. MANY NEWSPAPERS INDICATED

THAT THE UMELCO MEMBERS SEEMED TO BE TRYING TO DISTANCE THEMSELVES

FROM CONTRACT SIGNING. THEY HIGHLIGHTED THE STATEMENTS MADE BY MR

ALLEN LEE THAT THE COMPILATION OF THE FACT-FINDING REPORT HAD

NOTHING TO DO WITH CONTRACT SIGNING BY CHINA. HE NEVERTHELESS SAID

THAT THE UMELCO MEMBERS WOULD TRY TO COMPLETE THEIR REPORT AS

QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE FOR SUBMISSION TO LEGCO. HE BELIEVED THAT CHINA

WOULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT OF THE REPORT AND THE CONCERN EXPRESSED BY

THE PEOPLE IN HONG KONG. THE MEDIA ALSO NOTED THAT UMELCO

DELEGATES WERE DEPLY IMPRESSED BY THE PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAMMES

IN JAPAN AND HAD ACCORDINGLY ASKED CLP AND HKG TO DO MORE IN THIS

RESPECT. MODERATE COVERAGE WAS GIVEN TO MR. LEE YU-TAN'S REMARKS

THAT JAPAN HELD PUBLIC HEARINGS BEFORE DECIDING ON WHETHER TO

BUILD A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT.

5. ON 12 AND 13 AUGUST, MING PAO DEVOTED ITS FRONT PAGES TO STORIES RELATING TO THE HARWELL CONSULTANCY. THE PAPER REPRINTED PART OF

THE ACCIDENT ASSESSMENT PHASE REPORT AND FEW CONFIDENTIAL

MEMORANDA FROM DEMS TO SES WITH A VIEW TO HIGHLIGHTING GOVERNMENT'S

INTERNAL CONCERN OVER THE PHASE ACCIDENT ASSESSMENT REPORT. IT

NEVERTHELESS URGED THE PUBLIC TO STAY CALM AND AWAIT THE REPORT OF

THE SECOND STAGE OF THE ACCIDENT ASSESSMENT STUDY. A FURTHER STORY

ON THE LEAKED MEMORANDA AND THE ACCIDENT ASSESSMENT REPORT

SUBSEQUENTLY APPEARED IN SCMP ON 15 AUGUST. THE LEAKAGE HAD AROUSED

INTEREST IN THE CONSULTANCY AND HAD APARKLED OFF DEMANDS FROM THE

ANTI-DAYA BAY GROUPS INCLUDING SOME ELECTED LEGCO UNOFFICIALS FOR

DISCLOSURE OF THE ACCIDENT ASSESSMENT REPORT (PARA. 7 BELOW). IN

THIS CONNECTION, THE MEDIA EXTENSIVELY REPORTED THAT THE ACTING GOVERNOR SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS ALWAYS CONCERNED ABOUT LEAKS

AND THAT THE LEAKS ON THE HARWELL REPORT ONLY REFLECTED THE STU-

ATION OF SEVERAL MONTHS AGO AND NOT UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION. FS WAS

ALSO QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THE LEAK OF THE ACCIDENT ASSESSMENT

REPORT WAS UNTIMELY BECAUSE THE REPORT WAS ONLY A PRELIMINARY ONE.

THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL, IN ONE OF THE COMMENTARIES, HOWEVER

SUSPECTED THAT THE CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENT WAS DELIBERATELY LEAKED

BY THE GOVERNMENT FOR SHIRKING ITS RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE PROJECT.

-L CONFIDENTIAL

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