TNAG-1505-FCO40-2063-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 104

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RELATING TO THE PROJECT WOULD WORK TO THE INTEREST OF HONG KONG CONSUMERS. IN THIS CONNECTION, IT WAS REPORTED THAT TWO LEGCO UNOFFICIALS, MISS MAR HA TAM AND DR. DANIEL TSE, HAD EXPRESSED THE VIEW THAT THE PUBLIC SHOULD RE REASSURED THAT THE PURCHASE OF

ELECTRICITY FROM DAYA BAY WOULD BE IN THEIR INTEREST. ACCORDINGLY THE FUTURE ELECTRICITY PRICE SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO THE CONTROL AND

MONITORING BY THE UMELCO PANEL ON PUBLIC UTILITIES.

6.

AS REFLECTED IN THE DISTRICT OFFICERS' WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORTS (PARA. 10 BELOW), THERE WAS DECLINING PUBLIC INTEREST IN DAYA BAY NOTWITHSTANDING CONTINUING MEDIA COVERAGE ON RELATED

DEVELOPMENTS. IT SEEMED THAT MOPE AND MORE PEOPLE HERE BEGAN TO

ACCEPT THE DAYA BAY PROJECT WAS A FAIT ACCOMPLY AFTER THE MAIN

CONTRACTS HAD BEEN SIGNED. THEY TOOK THE VIEW THAT IT SERVED NO

USEFUL PURPOSE IN CONTINUING ANY CAMPAIGN TO CALL FOR SHELVING

OR DELAYING OF THE PROJECT. THIS GENEPAL VIEW WAS HOWEVER NOT SHARED BY THE ANTI-NUCLEAR GROUPS. THE JOINT CONFERENCE FOR SHELVING THE DAYA BAY PLANT, FOR EXAMPLE, INSISTED THAT THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO FIGHT. IN MAKING A MASS PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT AND CLP ON 23 SEPTEMBER, THE JOINT CONFERENCE SAND THAT THE SIGNING OF CONTRACTS WOULD NOT PUT AN END TO THE MATTER. NOTING THAT SOME COUNTRIES SUCH AS THE PHILIPPINES AND TAIWAN HAD DECIDED TO SHELVE SOME NUCLEAR PROJECTS EVEN AFTER THEY WERE MMPLEMENTED, THE JOINT CONFERENCE WERE NOT CONVINCED THAT THEIR CONTINUING EFFORT WAS DOOMED TO FAIL. THEY CLAIMED THAT THEY

WERE NOT ALONE AS THEY HAD THE SUPPORT OF THE PUBLIC WHO PREFERRED

THE PROJECT BE DROPPED. THEY REITERATED THAT THEPE WOULD BE A MASS

RALLY AT MORSE PARK ON 5 OCTOBER AND THAT ABOUT 1,000 PERSONS WERE

EXPECTED TO TAKE PART IN IT. FOLLOWING THE RALLY, THE JOINT

CONFERENCE WOULD PROBABLY CONCENTRATE ON RESEARCH ACTIVITIES AND

ANTI-NUCLEAR PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAMMES.

7. THERE WAS MOUNTING PRESSURE FROM VARIOUS CUARTERS FOR MORE

PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAMMES ON NUCLEAR ENERGY. MANY PEOPLE

ECHOED THE VIEW EXPPESSED BY THE LEGCO FACT-FINDING DELEGATION

THAT THE GOVERNMENT AND CLP SHOULD LAUNCH MORE PUBLIC EDUCATION

PROGRAMMES ON NUCLEAR ENERGY TO ALLAY PUBLIC FEAR IN DAYA PAY.

THIS GENERAL MOOD WAS REFLECTED IN A PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY CONDUCTED

BY A DISTRICT BOARD MEMBER FROM SHAM SHIU PO. THE SURVEY SHOWED

THAT NEARLY 95 PER CENT OF THE 154 RESPONDENTS FELT THAT THE

GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROMOTING EDUCATION PROGRAMMES

ON NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY. ON THIS SUBJECT, MR. BILL STONES OF HKNIC,

TOLD RADIO 3 THAT HE WAS PREPARED TO ADMIT THAT THE PERFORMANCE

OF HIS COMPANY AND THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IN

PROVIDING THE PUBLIC WITH INFORMATION ON DAYA BAY. PLANS WERE IN

HAND TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION. IT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY NOTED THAT THE

PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIVISION OF CLP WAS BEING RE-ORGANISED WITH A VIEW

TO DIVERTING MORE RESOURCES TO PUBLIC EDUCATION ON DAYA BAY.

A PELATED DEVELOPMENT, THE LOCAL PRESS, PARTICULARLY THE LEFT WING

PAPERS, REPORTED THAT THE NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY EXHIBITION JOINTLY

ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF

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