*********************************************************
Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mr C Y Leung, at a media session after attending the second regional forum to collect public views on the 2014 Policy Address and the 2014-15 Budget at Dr Seaker Chan Shu Kui Hall, The North Point Kai-Fong Welfare Advancement Association, this afternoon (December 7):
Reporter: Mr Leung, can you describe the action of this interruption that corrupted the meeting and how exactly will be the following...
Chief Executive: Well, Hong Kong is a generally law-abiding society. We obviously welcome different views. But I don't think anyone in Hong Kong would tolerate or should tolerate illegal actions, assaulting by any means people participating at these public consultation forums including government officials who are speakers.
I should repeat what I have just said in English about the Philippine hostage taking incident. Since I announced a deadline for the negotiation, both sides, senior government officials of Hong Kong and the Philippines, have engaged in frequent contacts and dialogues, working pragmatically on a settlement of the incident. As we all know, we made some progress which we announced a few weeks ago. Recently, government officials from both sides have been working equally pragmatically towards such solutions. We are asking, we keep pressing the Philippine side for them to meet the demands, the four demands of the victims of the hostage taking incident. And we do not, and I repeat, we do not rule out the possibility of having to impose sanctions on the Philippines if such demands are not met.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Saturday, December 7, 2013
Issued at HKT 21:26
NNNN
Windows Media format
Flash format