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ST. ANTONY'S COLLEGE.
OXFORD
OX2 6JF
TEL. 89651
We
are writing to you as the representative of the peoples of the United Kingdom and by default, of the territory of Hong Kong which, lacking the political freedom to decide its own future, is still a dependent territory of the United Kingdom.
We can only describe ourselves, the undersigned, as a small group of concerned academics, who are by the nature of our position, able to speak rather more freely than most inhabitants of the Colony. Our concern is not only the future of Hong Kong but also that of the lives of those residents there, both those holding British passports and other documents, and whose fate will be sealed by the ratification in the Houses of Parliament of the Draft Agreement.
The
Parliament itself, as The Times (12.xi.84) reminds its readers, will have only the freedom to accept or reject, but not substantially to amend, this crucial instrument of State. choice, in so far as there is one,
there is one, is simple: either to accept the outcome of the negotiations held in Beijing, or else to reject these labours of HM Government, and to put the future of Hong Kong in serious jeopardy. This second alternative is clearly not an acceptable option.
Thus, like the people of Hong Kong, the members of Parliament, have become little more than
than cyphers. Their duty, however disagreeable, can only be to endorse
to endorse a fait accompli.
The citizens of Hong Kong, however, look to Parliament as the effective channel to voice the aspirations and the conscience of the community.
The Agreement itself, we are assured by the Secretary of State, will create moral and political pressure through the international community towards the observance of the terms of what is (more hopefully than accurately) termed a "legally" binding document. We may all pray that this may be so.
to
This,
However it is the burden of this letter, which is being sent each Member of Parliament, to urge you to persuade HM Government to adopt further measures, on British initiative alone, which will make clear to the world our own willingness to give a further guarantee of freedom to the people of Hong Kong. we believe, is a a matter of national honour, obligation, and self-interest. A commitment to the values of freedom and democracy that is perceived by the world at large as being too weak to extend even to those who are in many senses historically, legally, and culturally - Our own people, will carry little conviction with either friends or enemies in the future. We may not be the United States of America, which once proclaimed to the displaced unfortunates of the last
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