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MPs' motion backs Hongkong
It would be churlish if Hongkong did not offer some words of thanks to the 114 members of Parliament of all parties who tabled a motion in the House of Commons last week in support of our social progress.
This goes a long way towards mitigating and correcting the harm done by the 70 (now 68) MPs who signed an earlier motion calling for urgent reforms in housing, education, labour and social welfare.
It is not that Hongkong needs to be continually reassured by the UK Parliament that we are doing our best to improve the lot of our people, though obviously Rainmars' ¿ motion caused widespread concern, wake of reports that the particularly coming" British Government was stepping up pressure on Hongkong to improve welfare programmes and speed up labour reforms.
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But it is essential for British MPs of all persuasions realise that while Hongkong is also their responsibility its performance must be judged in contemporary Asian, rather than Western European terms.
Thus while social democracy with all its concomitant obligations upon the taxpayer, is well entrenched in European countries, the United States, Canada and Australia, this is not the course that Hongkong can contemplate without imposing upon ourselves a ruinous burden of taxation that would be inimical to our existence as a business and industrial centre.
And while there may be justification for disappointment that progress in housing, education and welfare has not moved ahead as fast as was hoped, given a good long run of reasonably prosperous years this will be pushed vigorously and ultimately we will achieve equality with the best in Asia.
The same can be said for labour reforms.
Rightly, we shun the idea of “wall-paper” legislation which in theory brings us up to standard with ILO conventions, but which is honoured more in the breach than the observance.
Our objective should be to reach for goals that can be attained and for standards that can be policed with a fair degree of success.
Hongkong is certainly not resentful of criticism and indeed it is an MP's right to speak his mind and for officials here to take note.
But it would be completely wrong if British MPs then felt that Hongkong had no alternative but to “tremble and obey.” It is our own government that is responsible for peace, security and good order and the decisions on how quickly we can progress must ultimately be determined by our government with the advice and assistance of our people.
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