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FM HONG KONG 0510452 JUN 84
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1498 OF 5 JUNE
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
FOLLOWING FOR CLIFT FROM GOVERNOR:
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YOUR TELNO 986: CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND GOVERNMENT
STRUCTURE.
1. A REVISED DRAFT OF THE GREEN PAPER WILL REACH YOU ON JUNE 6. I CONFIRM THAT WE ARE AIMING FOR DISCUSSION IN EXCO ON JUNE 19.
2. IN THIS WE HAVE MET A NUMBER OF THE CONCERNS WHICH YOU EXPRESS IN YOUR TELEGRAM. IN PARTICULAR YOU WILL SEE THAT IT CONTAINS A LONGER PIECE ON THE RISKS INVOLVED IN DIRECT ELECTIONS AND THE RELATIVE ADVANTAGES OF THE INDIRECT SYSTEM. AT THIS STAGE OF HONG KONG'S DEVELOPMENT. ON THE QUESTION OF DIRECT ELECTIONS, MINISTERS SHOULD BE WARNED NOT TO OVERESTIMATE THE INFLUENCE OF THOSE WHO SPEAK LOUDEST ON THIS SUBJECT. THEY ARE MAINLY MEMBERS OF SMALL PRESSURE GROUPS AND ACADEMICS. WHILE THERE IS GENERAL SUPPORT IN THE COMMUNITY FOR MORE REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, THERE IS ALSO A STRONG EXPRESSION OF CONCERN COMING FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND FROM THE GRASS ROOTS LEVEL THAT THE GOVERNMENT MIGHT MOVE TOO FAR AND TOO FAST AND IN CONSEQUENCE INTRODUCE A FACTOR OF INSTABILITY
AT THIS HIGHLY SENSITIVE TIME.
3. ON PARA 4 OF YOUR TELEGRAM THERE IS INDEED A CASE FOR DISCUSSING THE POSSIBILITY OF A DIFFERENT MIX OF MEMBERSHIP BETWEEN THOSE ELECTED BY A COLLEGE AND THOSE ELECTED BY THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES. ON THE OTHER HAND, IF WE INTRODUCE TOO MANY DETAILS PUBLIC DISCUSSION WILL BE DISSIPATED IN ARGUMENT ON THE DETAILS INSTEAD OF ON THE SYSTEM IN GENERAL. WE HAVE THEREFORE INCLUDED A POSSIBLE PARAGRAPH ON A DIFFERENT MIX AND WILL TAKE EXCO'S ADVICE ON WHETHER OR NOT IT SHOULD BE INCLUDED.
4. AS YOU WILL SEE FROM OUR DRAFT, THE IDEA OF STARTING WITH A FEW DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS MAY BE A SEDUCTIVE ONE BUT IT IS QUITE IMPRACTICABLE. (AN IDEA PUT FORWARD BY A FEW SMALL PRESSURE
GROUPS).
SINCE YOU CANNOT TREAT DIFFERENT PARTS OF HONG KONG DIFFERENTLY, THEIR CONSTITUENCIES WOULD HAVE TO COVER THE WHOLE TERRITORY AND THIS WOULD MAKE THEM IMPOSSIBLY LARGE.
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