UNCLASSIFIED
VBP
32
072730
MDLIAN 8127
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELNO 1033
OF 101035Z APRIL 92
AND TO PRIORITY HANOI
шка
020 14
Ри
1
ነ
342
CM
TOP COPY Q DIST?
INFO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, PEKING, BTC HONG KONG
SHEK KONG FIRE: INDEPENDENT INQUIRY: HONG KONG PRESS REACTION
SUMMARY
MEDIA COVERAGE PROMINENT AND EXTENSIVE. REPORTS FOCUSED ON THE INQUIRY'S FINDING THAT THE TRAGEDY MIGHT HAVE BEEN AVERTED HAD THE POLICE ACTED MORE QUICKLY AT A CERTAIN POINT IN THE RIOT.
DETAIL
2. THE PUBLICATION OF THE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE KEMPSTER REPORT RECEIVED EXTENSIVE COVERAGE, ESPECIALLY IN THE TWO ENGLISH DAILIES. BOTH PAPERS CARRIED THE STORY AS FRONT PAGE LEAD. COVERAGE IN THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST (SCMP) WAS HEADLINED QUOTE VIET TRAGEDY COULD HAVE BEEN AVERTED UNQUOTE WITH A WHOLE INSIDE PAGE COVERING THE RECOMMENDATIONS (REPRODUCED IN FULL, WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE), STATEMENTS BY THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY AND THE POLICE, AND REACTIONS FROM LEGISLATORS AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES. THE REPORT WAS ALSO THE SUBJECT OF AN SCMP EDITORIAL, WHICH URGED THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE REPORT SHOULD BE FULLY CONSIDERED, AND THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD GIVE A COMMITMENT TO RELEASE THE FULL FINDINGS OF THE INQUIRY ONCE SUBJUDICE PROBLEMS WERE RESOLVED. COVERAGE IN THE HONG KONG STANDARD WAS LESS DETAILED. HEADLINED QUOTE CAMP INQUIRY ATTACKS POLICE UNQUOTE THE STANDARD SUMMARISED THE MAIN FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS WITH SIMILAR STATEMENTS AND REACTIONS TO THOSE IN THE SCMP.
3. IN THE CHINESE PRESS, THE U.K. ELECTION TOOK PRECEDENCE OVER THE KEMPSTER REPORT, WHICH WAS SECOND LEAD STORY IN ALMOST ALL MAJOR CHINESE DAILIES. THE REPORTS COVERED THE SAME GROUND AS THE ENGLISH PRESS. THERE WERE THREE CHINESE EDITORIALS (MING PAO, HK COMMERCIAL DAILY AND SING TAO DAILY) ON THE REPORT. ALL URGED THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE OF SIMILAR INCIDENTS IN FUTURE.
1
PAGE
UNCLASSIFIED
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.