DAB dismay at talks with Martin Lee
Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong chairman Tsang Yok-sing yesterday expressed dismay over President Clinton's private meeting with rival party chairman Martin Lee Chu-ming.
Speaking after attending a group meeting with Mr Clinton, the DAB leader said the President should not send the message that he favoured a particular political party.
'I'm discontented with this arrangement because any message of favouritism would generate suggestions of intervention in local affairs,' he said.
'In fact, I said I wouldn't accept discriminatory meetings with political parties.
'But someone from the US team explained that Mr Clinton was meeting Mr Lee as an old friend because they had met before.' Mr Tsang said he accepted the explanation.
Christine Loh Kung-wai, Citizens Party chairwoman, said she was not bothered by the meeting.
'I've had time to talk to Mr Clinton for five to six minutes during which I voiced my concern about environmental protection,' said Ms Loh.
She suggested the United States should send a 'dream team' of environmental experts to the mainland next year and launch a US-Sino millennium environmental project in 2000.
Mr Lee said he told Mr Clinton at their 20-minute private meeting that the Basic Law should be amended to speed up the pace of democracy.
'I told him China had tied Hong Kong too tight when the Basic Law was drafted 10 years ago.
'But things are totally different now. It's time to see if it needs to be so tight.
'I see no reason why we cannot have 60 seats and the chief executive democratically elected in 2000.' Mr Lee also told Mr Clinton of how he thought human rights and freedoms were eroded one year after the handover.
He urged him not to give the thumbs-up to the implementation of 'one country, two systems' too early.
'I told him whether it's going to work is a bit early to tell,' said Mr Lee.
'But so far it's not that bad or not that good . . . not as good a scenario at all for the sort of thing Mr Clinton is talking about.' The Frontier's Emily Lau Wai-hing said she believed Mr Clinton should be more outspoken on democracy issues.
'I told US National Security Adviser Sandy Berger that I would be disappointed if Mr Clinton did not say more on faster democratisation.
'Human rights and freedom are beyond borders, so it would be good if the US President could speak out and say that the present pace of democracy is too slow.' But Mr Tsang said he could not accept inviting a foreign government to tell the mainland how Hong Kong should be run.
He said Mr Clinton was prudent in not making remarks that would be interpreted as making such hints.
'Mr Clinton refrained from saying the US Government or the President would like to see how Hong Kong political systems should develop or how some political controversies should be solved,' said Mr Tsang.
'He had said what he should have said and I'd be surprised if he'd criticised Hong Kong's pace of democracy as too slow.'
