THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG FOUND THE DRAFT
AGREEMENT GENERALLY ACCEPTABLE AND THAT 90 PER CENT OF THE
RESPONDENTS PREFERRED THE AGREEMENT TO NO AGREEMENT AT ALL.
WHILST THE DRAFT AGREEMENT IS ACCEPTABLE AS A. WHOLE TO THE
MAJORITY OF THE COMMUNITY, SOME CONCERN AND POINTS OF DETAIL HAVE
BEEN RAISED. IN PARTICULAR, THERE IS ANXIETY ABOUT INTERFERENCE FROM
THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT: WORRY ABOUT CONSCRIPTION IN THE HONG KONG
SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION: UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE ACCEPTABILITY
TO THIRD COUNTRIES OF THE NEW FORM OF BRITISH PASSPORT: DOUBT ABOUT
THE PRESERVATION OF EXISTING HUMAN RIGHST AND PERSONAL FREEDOMS:
FEAR ABOUT THE STATIONING OF PLA TROOPS IN HONG KONG: RESENTMENT
ABOUT THE TERMINATION OF TRANSMISSIBILITY OF BRITISH NATIONALITY
FOR HONG KONG BDTCS IN 1997: RESERVATIONS ABOUT POSSIBLE
INCOMPATIBILITY BETWEEN THE CONSTITUTION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC
OF CHINA AND THE FUTURE BASIC LAW OF HONG KONG: AND CONCERN ABOUT
THE FAITHFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AGREEMENT AND THE POLICIES OF
FUTURE CHINESE LEADERS.
THERE ARE ALSO VERY STRONG REQUESTS THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG
KONG SHOULD NOT ONLY BE CONSULTED ON, BUT SHOULD ACTIVELY
PARTICIPATE IN, THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW AND THAT HONG KONG
PEOPLE SHOULD ALSO SIT ON THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT LIAISON GROUP.
THE ULTIMATE SUCCESS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION DEPENDS ON
PEOPLE'S CONFIDENCE THAT IT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED FAITHFULLY AND
THAT MATTERS OF CONCERN AND QUESTIONS OF DETAIL WHICH HAVE BEEN
RAISED ARE SATISFACTORILY RESOLVED AND CLARIFIED BY THE TWO SIGNATORY GOVERNMENTS. THEREFORE, IN ACCEPTING THE AGREEMENT, WE URGE BOTH THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS TO TAKE STEPS TO
REASSURE THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG IN THESE RESPECTS.
MOVE TO REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT
GIVEN THAT HONG KONG WILL BE A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION
WITHIN CHINA AFTER 1997, WITH AN ELECTED LEGISLATURE ENJOYING A
HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT A GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE
CONSISTING LARGELY OF LOCAL PEOPLE IS IN PLACE AND IN PROPER
WORKING ORDER WELL BEFORE 1997. IT IS THEREFORE NECESSARY TO MOVE TO A MORE REPRESENTATIVE FORM OF GOVERNMENT, TRANSFERRING THE
POWERS OF THE PRESENT COLONIAL GOVERNMENT TO THE ELECTED
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
IN THIS RESPECT, UMELCO WELCOME AND SUPPORT THE BASIC PROPOSALS AND THE PROGRESSIVE APPROACH OUTLINED IN BOTH THE GREEN AND WHITE PAPERS ON THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT
IN HONG KONG. HOWEVER, UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS ECHO THE CAUTION EXPRESSED IN MANY QUARTERS AGAINST ANY RAPID OR RADICAL CHANGES
WHICH MAY PUT AT RISK HONG KONG'S RAISON D'ETRE, THAT IS,
STABILITY AND PROSPERITY.
3
CONFIDENTIAL
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