**************************************************

    Following is a transcript of remarks (English portion) made by the Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang, in a media session at the Main Wing lobby of the Central Government Offices this morning (August 6):

Reporter: (concerning the regulations governing covert surveillance)

Chief Executive: What I wish to emphasise is that first this order does not add anything to the power currently exercised by our law enforcement bodies. It simply clarifies what they are allowed to do. In fact it limits their power in the sense that only very senior officers will be able to invoke this particular power, which has nothing to do with the enactment that we have to do under Article 23 of the Basic Law. More importantly, this order does not affect the rights and privileges of private citizens. It only regulates the behaviour of public servants. It does not regulate, it does not make any particular additional restrictions on private citizens at all. So I believe that we have to understand that this essence, it codifies what we are trying to do. It does not add any particular power to what we already have and it is going to make the whole thing apparent and transparent to all people so that they can see whether there is any misbehaviour on the part of law enforcement agencies.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)

Ends/Saturday, August 6, 2005

NNNN

News clip (Real Media/Windows Media)