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Following is the transcript of remarks by the Under Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah, at a media session after meeting with representatives of The Hong Kong Federation of Students on October 6:
Reporter: What progress have you made in preparation meeting and why do you agree that the coming meeting should be open?
Under Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs: We have agreed on three principles on the meeting. First of all, we hope that it is not the only meeting. We have the dialogue with the students. We hope that we'll have more than one meeting with them. Secondly, we hope that this dialogue will have a direct and with a mutual respect with each other during the meeting. And thirdly, if there is any consensus raised in the meeting, the Government will implement with the agreement of both sides. These are the three principles and we have worked out the progress of the meeting. We hope that we can hold this meeting within this week. We'll have the third (preparation) meeting tomorrow night (October 7).
Reporter: Would the Government promise not to use violence to clear the protesters? Is that one of the main principles that both sides will agree?
Under Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs: We didn't talk about this tonight (October 6).
Report: Can you promise for the Government that the Government will not use violence on the protesters from now on? Is the Government confident that it does not need to use it?
Under Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs: Actually, tonight, we are only (having) a working meeting. We have a very good progress. We have agreed on the three principles on the dialogue. Also, we have come to an agreement that we hope that we can have the meeting as soon as possible and within this week.
Reporter: Whether the Government will have a talk in the public arena? Negotiation in a public way and what kind of public way?
Under Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs: We have assured the students that the meeting and the dialogue will be held in an open way. That means the public or the media will attend the meeting. We hope that we can have a frank, direct, with mutual respect dialogue in this meeting.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript).
Ends/Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Issued at HKT 01:05
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