136
GPS 700
DEDIP
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FM HONG KONG 06043OZ NOV 34
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 3331 OF 06 NOVEMBER
FOLLOWING PERSONAL FOR SIR P CRADOCK FROM GOVERNOR.
188
4KK040/46
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
06 NOV 1984
DESK OFFICER
REGISTRY
INDEX
PA
JAK
歌
YOUR TELNO 2012. HONG KONG AGREEMENT: TEXT OF ACCEPTABILITY
FOLLOWING IS INTERIM SUMMARY REPORT NO 5 FOR 29 OCTOBER TO 4 NOVEMBER.
A. OVERALL ACCEPTABILITY
DURING THIS PERIOD, A FURTHER 170 LETTERS FROM INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANISATIONS WERE RECEIVED, INCLUDING 14 SUBMISSIONS WHICH WERE ANONYMOUS OR CLASSIFIED AS DUBIOUS OR IRRELEVANT. OF THE 170 LETTERS RECEIVED, 44 WERE FROM INDIVIDUALS WHOSE SUBMISSIONS WERE IN THE FORM OF PRE-PREPARED STENCILLED/PRINTED LETTERS USING STANDARD WORDING, REJECTING THE DRAFT AGREEMENT. IT IS NOT CONSIDERED JUSTIFIABLE TO EXCLUDE THE 44 LETTERS RECEIVED SO FAR FROM ASSESSMENT SINCE THEY ARE ALSO INDIVIDUALLY SIGNED WITH PROPER ADDRESSES. EXCLUDING THE 44 STANDARD LETTERS, THE BREAKDOWN OF THE REMAINING INDIVIDUAL VIEWS BROADLY INDICATES SOME 53 PERCENT IN FAVOUR, 26 PERCENT AGAINST AND 21 PERCENT UNCLEAR. IF THE 44 LETTERS WERE INCLUDED, THE PERCENTAGES INDICATE A BREAKDOWN OF 39 PERCENT IN FAVOUR, 46 PERCENT AGAINST AND 15 PERCENT UNCLEAR. HOWEVER, IF IS PROBABLY REASONABLE TO SPECULATE THAT THE 44 LETTERS CAME FROM SOME POLITICALLY MOTIVATED ANTI-DRAFT AGREEMENT CAMPAIGN. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE NUMBERS WILL INCREASE. THIS PARTICULAR CATEGORY. OF SUBMISSION IS BEING MONITORED CLOSELY AND IDENTIFIED SEPARATELY.
2. EXCLUDING THE 44 LETTERS WHICH DID NOT ACCEPT THE DRAFT AGREEMENT, THE RESPONSE FROM THE OTHER SUBMISSIONS RECEIVED HAS BEEN POSITIVE. THE MAJORITY CONSIDERED THE DRAFT AGREEMENT ACCEPTABLE, AND A GOOD FOUNDATION FROM WHICH THE FUTURE PROSPERITY AND STABILITY OF HONG KONG COULD BE DEVELOPED AND GUARANTEED. MORE DETAILED COMMENTS AND NEW SUGGESTIONS WERE INCLUDED IN THE SUBMISSIONS. SOME CONSIDERED THE DRAFT AGREEMENT AS A PRAGMATIC APPROACH TO A PROBLEM LEFT OVER FROM HISTORY. OTHERS FELT CONFIDENT THAT THE SAR CONCEPT WOULD WORK AND WOULD ALSO ALLAY THE FEAR OF OTHER COUNTRIES OF A POSSIBLE OUTFLOW OF REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG AFTER 1997.
B. MAJOR SPECIFIC TOPICS COVERED IN SUBMISSION
(PLACED IN ORDER OF SIGNIFICANT COMMENT BUT NOT WEIGHTED
FOR IMPORTANCE)
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Action Taken