GPS 500
RESTRICTED
TOP COP
RESTRICTED MKKOOR
RECEIVED IN ASSET.
20 NOV 1963
319)
DESKBY 2809OOZ
FM HONG KONG 280745Z NOV 83
TO HMMED HATE FCO
قد كانت ست
༈དི་བུའིཐ་ཝརི་ཀ0ཝཿཤཿi**i+»
TAFEX
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1832 OF 28 NOVEMBER 1983.
TRY
Jior Tüken
JAFBS /12:CHiliz
HANFO HIMMEDIATE PEKING AND ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REPS WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, BRUSSELS AND GENEVA
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: PRESS COVERAGE.
ON SATURDAY WEN WEH PO (COMMUNIST) CARRIED AN EDITORIAL CRITICAL OF THE PRIME MINISTER'S REFERENCES ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG TO A CONTINUED QUOTE BRITISH LINK UNQUOTE. THE EDITORIAL INTERPRETED THE REFERENCE AS A PROPOSAL FOR JOINT ADMINISTRATION OR QUOTE CONDOMINIUM UNQUOTE AND ARGUED THAT THE PURSUIT OF SUCH AN OBJECTIVE WOULD HIMPEDE THE PROGRESS OF THE SINO-BRITISH TALKS ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE SINCE CHINA HAD MADE HT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT SOVEREIGNTY AND ADMINISTRATION WERE HINDVISABLE.
2. A THEME EMERGHING FROM THE COMMUNIST PRESS N RECENT DAYS #S ENDORSEMENT OF LOCAL DEMANDS FOR DEMOCRATISATION OF THE ADMIN- M:STRATION HN HONG KONG. THE NEW EVENING POST ON FRIDAY PACKED UP THE RECENT GALLUP POLL IN U.K. (MY TELNO 1814). HIT SUGGESTED THAT THE IMPOSITION OF BRITAIN'S WILL UPON HONG KONG BY FORCE IN THE 19TH CENTURY WAS THE MAJOR OBSTACLE TO ALLOWING HONG KONG PEOPLE TO DETERMINE THEIR OWN FUTURE. BRITISH PEOPLE TODAY WERE NOT RESPONSABLE FOR THE ACTMONS OF PAST BRATHISH COLON WALISTS AND SHOULD LEND THEMR MORAL SUPPORT TO HONG KONG RESIDENTS PRESENT QUEST FOR GREATER DEMOCRACY. SIMILARLY, WEN WE PO IN TODAY'S EDITORIAL PRAISED MR. ROBERT ADLEY MP'S CALL (DELIVERED IN A PRESS STATEMENT #SSUED ON THE EVE OF HIS DEPARTURE) FOR MORE DEMOCRATHIC INSTITUTIONS IN HONG KONG. DESCRIBING HIM AS QUOTE WISE AND RIGHTEOUS UNQUOTE THE PAPER PRANSED HIS UNDERSTANDING OF LOCAL PUBLIC OPENION AS QUOTE COMPARATIVELY FAIR. UNQUOTE THIS ATTITUDE WAS CONTRASTED WHITH THAT OF SOME LOCALLY APPOINTED COUNCILLORS WHO CLUNG TO COLONFALISM BY QUOTE FABRICATING PUBLIC OPINION, INCHTHING THE PUBLIC AND EVEN SABOTAGING PATRIOTIC ACTIVITIES UNQUOTE. HIN THE SAME VEIN, A COMMENTARY UN SUNDAY'S TA KUNG PAO SAND THAT RECENT SYMPOSIA AND LETTERS FROM STUDENTS TO THE PRIME MINISTER HAD INDICATED PEOPLE'S DESIRE FOR GREATER DEMOCRACY AND LOCAL- HSATHON. THIS WOULD PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO LIVE UP TO MTS PROJECTED HMAGE OF A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT AND FOR BRITAIN TO FULFILL ITS PROMISE TO FIND A SETTLEMENT ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE THAT WAS FIRST AND FOREMOST ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
RESTRICTED
See 3320
2