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032
MDLIAN 8539
6. THE MEDIA (7.6) REPORTED IN PROMINENT AND EXTENSIVE COVERAGE THAT A WINDOW ON A NEW NCNA HONG KONG BRANCH BUILDING AT QUEEN'S ROAD EAST WAS FOUND DAMAGED BY A GUN-SHOT.
7. THE GOVERNOR SAID THAT ANY SORT OF DAMAGE TO PROPERTY OR ANY SORT OF VIOLENCE WAS TO BE DEPLORED. HE SAID IT WOULD BE INVESTIGATED AND DEALT WITH. LEGCO MEMBER MARTIN LEE SAID THAT THE CHINESE SIDE HAD BLOWN THE INCIDENT OUT OF PROPORTION. THE ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS (8.6) REPORTED THAT SOME HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAD SAID IN PRIVATE THAT THE HIGH PROFILE DISPLAYED BY THE CHINESE SIDE OVER THE INCIDENT COULD BE SEEN AS AN ATTEMPT TO DISTRACT HONG KONG PEOPLE'S ATTENTION FROM CERTAIN ISSUES.
8. NCNA HONG KONG DIRECTOR ZHOU NAN SAID THAT IT WAS A VERY SERIOUS INCIDENT AND THAT THE NEWS AGENCY WAS SERIOUSLY WATCHING DEVELOPMENTS OF THE INCIDENT. VICE-DIRECTORS OF THE HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE LI HOU AND LU PING CALLED ON THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO PROTECT THE SAFETY OF NCNA STAFF IN HONG KONG. THEY SAID THAT THE BRITISH/HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONDUCT A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION INTO THE CASE BECAUSE THE BRITISH/HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE TERRITORY AT PRESENT.
9. QUOTING CHINESE SOURCES, SING TAO JIH PAO AND THE HONG KONG STANDARD (12.6) REPORTED THAT THE NCNA HONG KONG BRANCH HAD ASKED THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT NOT TO ALLOW LARGE-SCALE RALLIES TO MARCH PAST THE NEWS AGENCY. SENIOR STAFF OF THE NCNA HONG KONG BRANCH BELIEVED THAT THE SHOOTING INCIDENT WAS NOT AN ISOLATED CASE AS THE NEWS AGENCY AND OTHER CHINA-BACKED ORGANISATIONS IN HONG KONG HAD RECEIVED THREATS BEFORE AND AFTER JUNE 4.
BILL
OF RIGHTS
10. A TOTAL OF 795 SUBMISSIONS ON THE DRAFT BILL OF RIGHTS WERE RECEIVED AT THE END OF THE CONSULTATION PERIOD, THE MEDIA (8.6) REPORTED. CONVENOR OF THE LEGCO AD HOC GROUP ON THE BILL, SELINA CHOW, INDICATED THAT ALL SUBMISSIONS TO THE GROUP WERE IN FAVOUR OF ENACTING A BILL OF RIGHTS. HOWEVER, MOST OF THEM WERE OPPOSED TO A TWO-YEAR FREEZE PERIOD AND PROPOSED THAT IT BE SHORTENED OR SCRAPPED ALTOGETHER.
11. THE HONG KONG COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE BELIEVED THAT THE DRAFT BILL HAD NOT PROVIDED ADEQUATE SAFEGUARDS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, SOME PAPERS (6.6) REPORTED. IT REGRETTED THAT THE BILL HAD FAILED TO INCORPORATE PROVISIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON ECONOMIC,
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