TNAG-1727-FCO40-2440-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 211

4.46pm

THE PRESIDENT

HIS EXCELLENCY:

The Council will now resume.

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MRS CHOW:

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Sir, I congratulate the local press and

media for having faithfully, objectively and accurately reflected the majority mood of Hong Kong towards the White Paper.

I wish

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the same could be said of the International press, but I shall return to that later. For whether it is through direct contact

with people of various sectors of the community, or from the independent surveys conducted by interested and disinterested

bodies, the findings have been one of general acceptance of the White Paper as a workable, policy paper both in pace and in balance

pointing to a realistic and practical way forward. I share this

view. In any democratic process, ample opportunity must be given

for all views to be aired and debated upon. But in that same democratic process, there must come a time when decisions have to be made, even to the displeasure of some, bearing in mind no decision can please everyone. To protract public debate beyond that point by casting doubts on the wisdom and integrity of those decisions and the people who made them can only result in a dangerously destabilising effect on this community, which is already highly sensitive to confrontation. [Sir, I believe a campaign is afoot to create on the international scene an impression, and a

false one, I might add, that the Hong Kong people are being short- changed, betrayed and suppressed by the decisions taken in the White Paper by the Hong Kong Government. And in protest, the people are taking to riots in the street to rebel against this suppression.

When I was in London over Chinese New Year, a number of people on

several occasions, all ordinary folks, some of whom may not even

be able to point Hong Kong out on a map, let alone take an interest in our politics, asked me whether it still safe for them to visit Hong Kong. When I asked them where on earth they got the impression that Hong Kong unsafe, 'the papers of course, they said.

is

This I

34 am sure, comes as good news to those who worked hard to achieve the

extensive coverage. Do they not realise in their headstrong effort

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[wher

to be heard that thev are doing a tremendous dis

disfservice

to Hong Kong