CONFIDENTIAL
031165
MDHIAN 3253 ›
(E)
(F)
(G)
(H)
(I)
3.
LIABILITY TO THE UK TO GIVE SUPPORT:
THOSE SPEAKING AGAINST THE MOTION INCLUDED MARTIN LEE, WHO PROPOSED THAT THE MONEY BE DONATED TO THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS. TAM YIU-CHUNG (LEFT WING TRADE UNIONS) AND ELSIE TU SUPPORTED THIS IDEA. MRS TU SAID THAT THE MONEY SHOULD BE RAISED BY VOLUNTARY DONATIONS. IN ANSWER TO A REQUEST THE CHAIRMAN SAID HE WOULD CONVEY WHAT MEMBERS HAD SAID TO ICRS:
STEPHEN CHEONG (FEDERATION OF HK INDUSTRIES) AND PANG CHUN- HOI (PRO-KMT TRADE UNIONS) ALSO SPOKE AGAINST THE MOTION. THEY OBJECTED TO MAKING A CONTRIBUTION BEFORE HONG KONG WAS REQUESTED TO DO SO. CHEONG ARGUED THAT HONG KONG ALREADY HAD A GOOD RECORD OVER THE VBP ISSUE IN CONTRIBUTING FUNDS TOWARDS AN INTERNATIONAL PROBLEM. HE WAS CONCERNED THAT FURTHER CONTRIBUTIONS WOULD BE REQUESTED IF THE WAR DRAGGED ON:
HO SAI-CHU (CHINESE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE) ALSO OBJECTED. HE SAID THAT HONG KONG SHOULD NOT BE TOO CONCERNED ABOUT HOW OTHERS SAW US AND SHOULD NOT BE FORCED INTO MAKING A CONTRIBUTION:
KINGSLEY SIT (SOUTH KOWLOON) ARGUED THAT THE PUBLIC DID NOT SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL AND THAT A CONTRIBUTION FROM HONG KONG RESTRICTED TO SUPPORT AND MEDICAL PURPOSES WOULD SIMPLY RELEASE UK FUNDS FOR MILITARY PURPOSES. HE SAID THAT THE DEBATE SHOULD BE ADJOURNED TO ALLOW MORE TIME FOR CONSIDERATION: AND
THERE WAS SOME DEBATE ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE CONTRIBUTION. HUI YAN-FAT (COUNCIL FOR SOCIAL SERVICES) ARGUED THAT SINCE ANY CONTRIBUTION FROM HONG KONG WOULD BE NO MORE THAN TOKEN WHEN COMPARED WITH THE TOTAL COST OF THE WAR, WE SHOULD GIVE A MUCH SMALLER SUM. HE SUGGESTED HKD 20 MILLION.
THE PROPOSAL, WITH THE AMENDMENT SUGGESTED BY ALLEN LEE (SEE (A) ABOVE), WAS CARRIED BY 26 VOTES TO 14. THREE MEMBERS WHO HAD OPPOSED THE CONTRIBUTION IN THE LEGCO IN-HOUSE MEETING ON 5 FEBRUARY, MIRIAM LAU, POON CHI-FAI AND SO CHAU YIM-PING VOTED FOR THE AMENDED MOTION.
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