Leung not appeased by regret over HK tourists
Print Edition
Philippine President Benigno Aquino has expressed regret over a Manila hostage crisis that left eight Hong Kong residents dead in 2010, but the Chinese city’s leader said yesterday that his words were not enough.
Aquino made the comments during a 30-minute meeting with Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying in Bali on Monday.
“Again, we expressed our deepest regret (and said) that it’s so contrary to how we treat visitors in our country,” Aquino told Filipino reporters, according to transcripts of the interview released by his office yesterday.
Aquino said he emphasized that the apology did not mean “we are at fault as a country, as a government, as a people.” He added: “We pointed out, that from our perspective, there is one lone gunman responsible for this tragedy.”
Asked whether Leung accepted his expression of regret, Aquino said: “More or less. I think he mentioned something like ‘We recognize that in your culture personal fault is what you apologize for.’”
However, Leung told Hong Kong reporters: “The Philippine side, at the beginning, took the position that the matter has been resolved. I did not agree. I believe, and I made the case to the Philippine side, that this matter, unless it is resolved properly, will continue to stand in the way of normal relationships between Hong Kong and the Philippines.”
A disgruntled former policeman hijacked a bus packed with Hong Kong tourists in Manila in 2010. After lengthy negotiations, police launched a bungled assault that left the gunman and eight hostages dead.
In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said yesterday the Chinese government supports Hong Kong’s desire to stay in close contact with the Philippines about the hostage incident.
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