TNAG-2621-FCO40-3812-Visits-by-Alastair-Goodlad--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-an-1992 — Page 73

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MDHIAN 4747

17. THE TWO MONTHS OF LEGCO DEBATE ON THE EXPENDITURE AND

REVENUE PROPOSALS WERE A RELATIVELY ACRIMONIOUS PERIOD IN THE GOVERNMENT'S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NEW LEGCO. THE FIRST BUDGET DEBATE IN A LEGISLATURE WITH AN ELECTED MAJORITY SHOWED CLEARLY THE CONSIDERABLE EFFORTS THAT THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY AND HIS TEAM WILL IN FUTURE NEED TO MAKE TO ENSURE SUPPORT FOR THE GOVERNMENT'S FINANCIAL STRATEGY, AND IS A CLEAR POINTER TO THE LENGTHS TO WHICH LEGCO MEMBERS OF ALL PERSUASIONS WILL GO IN ORDER TO BE SEEN TO BE FURTHERING THE INTERESTS OF THE COMMUNITY.

LAW AND ORDER

18.

LAW AND ORDER REMAIN A SUBJECT OF REAL CONCERN THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. 85 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS TO A RECENT NEWSPAPER POLL (MING PAO, 18 MAY) CHARACTERISED THE LAW AND ORDER SITUATION AS BAD. THE CONCERN IS STRONGEST AMONGST THE OLDER AND LESS WELL- OFF SECTIONS OF THE COMMUNITY. THE USE OF MACHINE GUNS AND GRENADES IN CROWDED STREETS IS VIEWED WITH WIDESPREAD HORROR. ALTHOUGH THE CRIME STATISTICS DO NOT POINT TO AN INCREASE IN ARMED ROBBERIES OVERALL, 37 GRENADES HAVE BEEN USED OR DISCOVERED IN THE TERRITORY SO FAR THIS YEAR, COMPARED WITH ONLY 7 FOR THE WHOLE OF 1991. FORTUNATELY, THE NUMBER OF CASUALTIES FROM SUCH INCIDENTS REMAINS REMARKABLY LOW. BUT PEOPLE ARE UNDERSTANDABLY ALARMED ABOUT THE APPARENT FREEDOM WITH WHICH SUCH CRIMINALS OPERATE AND THE DIFFICULTIES THAT THE POLICE FACE IN PREVENTING SUCH INCIDENTS AND APPREHENDING THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM.

19. MOST OF THE GUNS, AND MANY OF THE CRIMINALS, INVOLVED IN THESE INCIDENTS COME FROM THE MAINLAND. THE PUBLIC HAS BEEN DISTURBED BY THE FAILURE OF THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES TO TAKE EFFECTIVE MEASURES TO SUPPRESS THE ILLEGAL TRADE IN SOPHISTICATED FIREARMS. AND THERE IS RESENTMENT AT THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE CHINESE SECURITY FORCES IN CORRUPTION, SMUGGLING AND OTHER CROSS- BORDER CRIME. NEVERTHELESS, THE PUBLIC HAS BEEN ENCOURAGED BY SIGNS IN RECENT WEEKS THAT THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES ARE READY TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES.

20.

DESPITE THE NERVOUSNESS CAUSED BY SOME DRAMATIC DISPLAYS OF CRIMINAL FIRE-POWER, VIOLENCE IS NOT A FEATURE OF LOCAL LIFE, AND HONG KONG IS STILL A SAFE CITY BY INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS. FOR THIS REASON, AS THE MING PAO POLL INDICATES, THE POLICE AND ITS LEADERSHIP RETAIN THE CONFIDENCE OF THE MAJORITY OF THE COMMUNITY. BUT THE PUBLIC NOT SURPRISINGLY EXPECTS THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD TAKE BOLD INITIATIVES TO PRESERVE LAW AND ORDER

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