Confidential
6. MANY PAPERS NOTED THAT DR. RICHARD LAY, WHO JOINED ONE OF THE LEGCO DELEGATIONS, HAD DECLINED TO ENDORSE THE LEGCO FACT-F•I•NDING REPORT. MISS MARIA TAM, WHEN INTERVIEWED BY THE MEDIA, SAID THAT SHE WAS SURPRISED THAT DR. LA HAD ACCEPTED NCNA'S INVITATION TO VISIT PEKING DESPITE HIS REFUSAL TO ENDORSE THE LEGCO REPORT. MR. ALLEN LEE, HAD SEPARATELY TOLD THE PRESS THAT DR. LA DID NOT COMMENT ON THE DRAFT REPORT WHEN IT WAS DISCUSSED AMONG THE DELEGATES AND HIS SUBSEQUENT REFUSAL TO ENDORSE THE REPORT WAS THEREFORE AN IRRESPONSIBLE ACT. HE SAID THAT DR. LA DID NOT HAVE THE DISCIPLINE TO BE ON LEGCO, HAD DONE 'GREAT DISSERVICE TO HK PEOPLE AND WAS UNFIT TO BE A MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL. HE ALSO SAD THAT DR. LA'S PERFORMANCE HAD MADE HIM HAVE SECOND THOUGHT ON DIRECT ELECTIONS TO LEGCO. THE MEDIA LATER NOTED THAT DR. LA FOUGHT BACK BY SAYING THAT HE WAS ANSWERABLE TO HIS CONSTITUENCY BUT NOT TO ALLEN LEE. HE SAID THAT HIS VOTE AGAINST THE LEGCO REPORT WAS BASED ON CONSCIENCE AND HE THREATENED TO FILE A DEFAMATION SUIT AGAINST MR. LEE. THE DISPUTE DID NOT LAST LONG. IT WAS NOTED THAT MR. LEE AND DR. LAH LATER AGREED TO SETTLE THEIR DISPUTE AFTER A 3-HOUR MEETING. IT WAS GENERALLY BELIEVED THAT THE ACTING SENIOR LEGCO UNOFFICIAL, MR. S.L. CHEN, HAD MADE A MOVE TO END THE DISPUTE. MISS LYDIA DUNN, SENIOR LEGCO UNOFFICIAL, TOLD REPORTERS IN LONDON THAT THE DISPUTE WAS NORMAL AND HEALTHY. HOWEVER, OTHER LEGCO MEMBERS INCLUDING DR. CHU HIN-KWONG AND DR. DANIEL TSE WERE CONCERNED THAT THE DISPUTE WOULD
AFFECT THE FUTURE FUNCTIONING OF LEGCO.
•
REMAINED
7. THE JOINT CONFERENCE FOR SHELVING THE DAYA BAY PLANT ACTIVE. NEVERTHELESS, HT SEEMED THAT THE JOINT CONFERENCE HAD SOFTENED ITS STAND. INSTEAD OF ASKING THE DAYA BAY PLANT TO BE SHELVED OR RELOCATED, THE JOINT CONFERENCE NOW DEMANDEA 6-MONTH MORATORIUM ON THE PROJECT. AS PART OF THEIR ANTI-DAYA BAY CAMPAIGN, THE JOINT CONFERENCE STAGED A DEMONSTRATION OUTSIDE THE GOVERNMENT HOUSE IN THE MORNING OF 4 SEPTEMBER TO SUPPORT THE CALL BY THE HON. MARTIN LEE AND SOME OTHER LEGCO UNOFFICIALS FOR A SPECIAL LEGCO SITTING TO DEBATE DAYA BAY. THEY ALSO PETITIONED UMELCO IN THE AFTERNOON ASKING FOR AN EXPLANATION AS TO THE LEGCO DECISION NOT TO HOLD A SECOND DEBATE AT THIS TIME (OUR TELNO. 2867). FOLLOWING AN ANTI-NUCLEAR EXHIBITION AT THE NEW WORLD CENTRE ON 6 SEPTEMBER", THE JOINT CONFERNCE PLANNED TO HOLD A MASS PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT ON 14 SEPTEMBER, A MASS RALLY AT MORSE PARK ON 5 OCTOBER AND A 30-SECOND LIGHTS OFF PROTEST ON THE NIGHT THE DAYA BAY CONTRACTS WERE SIGNED. THE HK STANDARD SAID THAT THE JOINT CONFERENCE HAD BEEN IN CONTACT WITH SOME ANTI-NUCLEAR GROUPS IN LONDON INCLUDING HK LINKS AND FRIENDS OF THE EARTH TO ORGANISE LOBBYING EFFORTS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM DURING THE EXCO VISIT.
8. THERE WAS SOME INDICATIONS THAT THE PUBLIC INTEREST IN THE DAYA BAY PROJECT WAS DECLINING AS MORE PEOPLE BEGAN TO ACCEPT THAT THE PLANT WAS A FANT ACCOMPLI. MING PAO SAID THAT A PRIVATE MARKET RESEARCH
Confidential
Page 270Page 271
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.