Officials and supporters skirting concerns over express rail link

Regarding the express rail link, the administration and groups with vested interests are falling over themselves in a joint disinformation campaign, including a number of expensive, unsigned, sponsored features in the press.

They are doing this with the purpose of discrediting anyone who objects to their efforts to push through the Legislative Council the funding approval for the express rail link project before members of the public have access to the full facts.

While Secretary for Transport Eva Cheng and supporters continue to insist that the details have already been discussed at great length, it is only in recent weeks that the public has been informed that there is a secret study on the potential traffic problems in Kowloon that will result from siting the express rail link station in West Kowloon.

West Kowloon is a cul-de-sac with few convenient transport links to other districts. Traffic in the area is already at a standstill during the rush hour.

Of even greater significance is the fact that no public consultation has been conducted with regard to the installation of mainland immigration facilities at the Hong Kong terminus. Such a move will be met with strong opposition from many in the community.

We have yet to receive an explanation from Secretary for Security Ambrose Lee Siu-kwong regarding the handing over of Zhou Yongjun the former student activist, to mainland authorities.

This was an act that contravened international protocol whereby a person travelling on suspected fake documents should be returned to the point of departure. With immigration facilities right in the middle of the city, the concept of 'one country, two systems' could be severely eroded.