EN CLAIR
HONG KONG
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELEGRAM NO.304
8 MAY 1970
UNCLASSIFIED
MY TELEGRAM 333.
FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF NEWS ITEM REFERRED TO.
BEGINS.
TOP
84
""HONG KONG'S GOVERNMENT FONDLY CLAIMS THAT ITS 'RUBBER STAMP'' LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL REPRESENTS THE INTERESTS OF THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE. THE NUMBER OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS WHO COULD BE SAID TO
BE REPRESENTATIVE OF ANYTHING BUT THE INDUSTRIAL AND MERCANTILE ESTABLISHMENTS COULD BE COUNTED ON THE FINGERS OF ONE HAND, WITH THREE OR FOUR FINGERS MISSING. RECENTLY THE BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY, MICHAEL STEWART, PASSED THROUGH THE COLONY AND RECEIVED. A GROUP OF THESE MIGHTY ''REPRESENTATIVES”. THE FIRST QUESTION
THEY PUT WAS UNDERSTANDABLE SEMICOLON IT CONCERNED
THE EMBARRASSINGLY LONG PROCESS OF CHOOSING THE NEXT GOVERNOR
AND WHAT WAS THEIR SECOND QUESTION?
SOCIAL WELFARE? EDUCATION?
SLUM CLEARANCE? EVEN BRITAIN'S TRADE RESTRICTIONS?
NO, THE MATTER WHICH CAME SECOND IN THE ORDER OF PRIORITY OF THESE MEN OF THE PEOPLE WAS THE POSSIBILITY OF BRITAIN ISSUING THEM WITH SPECIAL DIPLOMATIC PASSPORTS. THEY WERE APPARENTLY IGNORANT OF THE FACT THAT BRITAIN ISSUES NO SUCH PASSPORTS, EVEN. TO
ITS OWN AMBASSADORS, SO MUCH FOR THE SOCIAL CONSCIENCES OF
HONG KONG'S ''UNOFFICIALS''.
MARK
*
SPECIAL PASSPORTS INDEED EXCLAMATION
ENDS.
SIR D. TRENCH
FILES
H.K.D.
PROT & CONF DEPT P.S.
85
SIR L. MONSON
MR. WILFORD
RECEIVED IN
REGISTRY No. 51
12 MAY 1970
WKX22N