RESTRICTED
DESKBY 14120OZ
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG 14111OZ MAR 84
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 691 OF 14 MARCH
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON,
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: LEGCO DEBATE.
MKK040/1
207
RENINGX
i'
1. YOU WILL BE RECEIVING VIA THE LONDON OFFICE (IN THE CASE OF PEKING BY TELEX) A GIS ROUND UP OF THE SPEECHES. THE FOLLOWING INITIAL SUMMARY OF THE UNOFFICIAL SPEECHES MAY ALSO BE OF USE.
2. SOME MEMBERS SOUGHT TO EXAMINE A NUMBER OF ASPECTS OF THE MOTION AND THE ISSUE OF THE FUTURE: OTHERS MADE BRIEF REMARKS ON PARTICULAR ASPECTS. THERE WERE, NOT SURPRISINGLY, A NUMBER OF COMMON STRANDS RUNNING THROUGH MOST SPEECHES. THE PRINCIPAL ONES WERE AS FOLLOWS:
(A) FIRM REJECTION OF SUGGESTIONS THAT THE TABLING OF THE MOTION, ITS BEING DEBATED AND ITS EFFECT IF PASSED WOULD BE EITHER HARMFUL TO HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OR AN OBSTACLE IN THE TALKS (NO EXPLICIT REFERENCE TO THE LEFT WING PRESS WAS MADE).
(B) FIRM SUPPORT FOR LEGCO MEMBERS' RIGHT TO AIR THEIR OWN VIEWS AND THE VIEWS OF THE COMMUNITY AS REFLECTED TO THEM IN THE COUNCIL, ON THE GROUNDS THAT ALL HONG KONG PEOPLE HAD A RIGHT TO EXPRESS VIEWS ON THEIR OWN FUTURE.
(C) ACCEPTANCE OF THE LIMITATIONS ON LEGCO'S ROLE. NO CLAIM TO REPRESENT THE HONG KONG PEOPLE AS A WHOLE SINCE THE MEMBERS WERE NOT ELECTED.
(D) THE EXISTENCE OF A CONFIDENCE CRISIS IN HONG KONG IN SPITE OF ENCOURAGING ECONOMIC INDICATORS. CONFIDENCE IN THE GOOD INTENTIONS OF CHINA AND BRITAIN, BUT DOUBTS ABOUT HOW FREEDOM AND LIVELIHOOD OF THE COMMUNITY WOULD IN PRACTICE BE SAFEGUARDED.
(E) THE NEED FOR HONG KONG PEOPLE TO BE GIVEN SUFFICIENT TIME TO CONSIDER AND ASSESS PROPOSALS FOR THEIR OWN FUTURE.
(F) THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FREEDOMS NOW ENJOYED IN HONG KONG AND THE RULE OF LAW AND THEREFORE THE NEED FOR SOME ASSURANCE THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE.
3. POINTS OF PARTICULAR INTEREST MADE BY INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS WHETHER COMPLEMENTARY, ADDITIONAL OR CONTRADICTORY TO THE MAIN THEMES WERE AS FOLLOWS:-
(A) RUSHING AN AGREEMENT THROUGH WOULD DAMAGE THE CREDIBILITY OF THE UK GOVERNMENT EVEN IF THE AGREEMENT ITSELF WAS QUITE REASONABLE, WHCH HE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE (MR T.S. LO)
RESTRICTED
1(8)
JB2113
see (211)