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HONG KONG: Lawmakers in Hong Kong passed a motion on Thursday, calling on the Philippine government to apologize for the Manila hostage crisis.
They also demanded compensation for the families of the eight Hong Kong tourists who were killed.
LegCo House Committee chairwoman Miriam Lau moved a motion to demand a public apology and compensation for the families of the eight Hong Kong tourists who were killed in the bus hijacking.
The motion is non-binding, meaning it will have no legislative effect.
Nonetheless, lawmakers were determined to make a clear statement about the botched rescue mission.
Albert Ho, Chairman of Democratic Party, said: "The bungled rescue operation on the part of the Philippine government has shown systemic problems as well as the mentality within the Philippine government."
Lawmakers demanded that the Philippine authorities get to the bottom of exactly what happened, and find out why the situation ended in a bloodbath.
They also praised the Hong Kong government's swift response by flying over a team to Manila and offering assistance to the victims.
But they said the government needs to adopt contingency measures to deal with similar incidents in the future, involving Hong Kongers overseas in distress.
During the crisis, Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang repeatedly tried to call Phillipine President Benigno Aquino, but was never put through that day.
The communication breakdown has raised concerns that Hong Kong needs to clearly define its negotiation channels. - CNA/fa
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