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Cheers as PLA border list withdrawn

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There was cheering in the normally sombre Legislative Council yesterday when Customs officers withdrew a list of PLA vehicles allowed easier crossing of the border.

Deputy Secretary for Security Carrie Yau Tsang Ka-lai assured legislators no guidelines had been issued giving the People's Liberation Army special privileges.

But she admitted a list of 29 PLA vehicles with closed-road permits had been given to border Customs officers 'to avoid misunderstandings'.

The move was sparked by an incident involving the head of the PLA handover advance party, Major-General Zhou Borong, and border Customs officers when the general was asked for a closed-road permit after returning from Shenzhen.

News that a list existed angered members of Legco's security panel.

Frontier legislator Emily Lau Wai-hing claimed it created a privileged group.

'The vehicles should produce the permits themselves. There should only be one rule,' she said.

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