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Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Carrie Lam, at a media session at the Legislative Council Complex today (November 13):
Reporter: Why do you think there is no need to postpone the one-month deadline to address the hostage crisis?
Chief Secretary for Administration: I think, for the time being, we are treating the two issues as entirely separate issues. The hostage incident is an issue that we have been pursuing with the Philippine Government for quite some time and the Chief Executive has already given a statement to that effect, whereas on this particular occasion it is entirely a humanitarian act, that we really want to provide the needed aid to victims affected very significantly by this major typhoon, and that's why we want, in the first instance, to get the Finance Committee approval for injecting $40 million into the Disaster Relief Fund to ensure that the fund will have the needed funding to meet the needs of the people, which will be submitted to us through the non-governmental organisations.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Issued at HKT 15:27
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