"The worry about Hong Kong being governed by people from Beijing or from the left-wing cannot be removed simply by the initialling of the draft agreement."
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-(Translation) Lung Ying, Cheng Ming Magazine October 1984
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China must give the Hong Kong people a rôle in the drafting of the Basic Law for the SAR . The Basic Law is as important a blueprint for Hong Kong's future as is the Joint Declaration. What the Joint Declaration did not deal with in detail should be included in the Basic Law." -Hong Kong Observers, South China Morning Post 29.10.84
This is a historical moment for Hong Kong and we need to re- examine our rôles and obligations. The Joint Declaration has only provided a basis; the future developments of Hong Kong depend on her people's continuous efforts and further commitments to be made on the existing foundation.'
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(Translation) University of Hong Kong Students' Union
3.23 In a number of cases, people expressed sadness at the severance of the link with Britain and the socio-economic system it has provided; disappointment at Britain's inability to maintain the status quo; resentment at the lack of involvement in the talks and frustration at the fact that the draft agreement could not be altered.
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'I belong to the middle income group who do not have the means to emigrate to other countries and because I was born and educated in Hong Kong I would wish to stay in Hong Kong. For the purpose of your statistics you can classify me as one of those who would accept the draft agreement but I hope you will also take into account that I only accept it with much reluctance and with many reservations about the feasibility of its implementation. My heart is not truly at ease and I have no full confidence in our future. The whole thing has not been a very fair play to us because we have not had any say and there is no other alternative other than not to have an agreement at all." -An individual
3.24 Although a few of the small number of organizations which have rejected the draft agreement have done so because of their inability to accept its specific provisions, most have scarcely touched upon those provisions, but rather have challenged the validity of the draft agreement and the right of Britain and China to determine the future of Hong Kong in this way. They have argued either for the status quo, or for Hong Kong to have the right of self-determination, or that any negotiations should have been with Taiwan and not with Beijing. They have stated that the PRC cannot be trusted to keep any promises made; the example of Tibet was quoted. The five groups of people who used stencilled proformas to communicate their views to the Office generally took the same line,
They should render early support for the Hong Kong people to determine their own destiny by way of a referendum so as to avert the fate of future persecution by the communists."
--(Translation) Cotton Bleaching and Dyeing Free Workers Union
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