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FN HONG KONG 2210002 OCT 84
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 3282 CF 22 OCTOPER
FOLLOWING PERSONAL FOR SIR P. CRADOCK FROM GOVERNOR.
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HKK 040/46.
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YOUR TELNO 2012: HONG KONG AGREEMENT: TEST OF ACCEPTADTRECEIVED IN REGISTRY
2 2 OCT 1984
Ken
ER 22/18
FOLLOWING IS INTERIM SUMMARY REPORT NO 3 FOR 15-21 OCT
BEGINS.
OFFICER
A. OVERALL ACCEPTABILITY. DURING THIS PERIOD, SOME 200 LETTERS FROM INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANISATIONS WERE RECEIVED, INCLUDING SOME THIRTY-SEVEN SUBMISSIONS WHICH WERE ANONYMOUS OR CLASSIFIED AS DUBIOUS OR IRRELEVANT. THE BREAKDOWN OF INDIVIDUAL VIEWS BROADLY INDICATES SOME 50 60 PERCENT IN FAVOUR, 20 PERCENT AGAINST AND 20 - 30 PERCENT UNCLEAR. IF ALL SOURCES ARE INCLUDED THE BREAKDOWN IS 57.3 PERCENT IN FAVOUR, 18.4 PERCENT AGAINST, 16.7 PERCENT UNCLEAR AND 7.6 PERCENT WITH NO MENTION OF ACCEPTABILITY.
PA
JAX
DURING THIS PERIOD ON 15 AND 16 OCTOBER, PROMINENT MEDIA COVERAGE WAS GIVEN TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DEBATE, GIVING CLEAR SUPPORT FOR THE DRAFT AGREEMENT. THE TWO VOICES OF DISSENT FROM LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS WERE ALSO PROMINENTLY COVERED. THE MOTION PROPOSED BY THE HON. R.H. LOBO IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WAS SUPPORTED BY TWENTY-FOUR UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS WITH TWO MEMBERS (MESSRS. J.J. SWAINE AND CHAN KAM-CHUEN) ABSTAINING.
B. MAJOR SPECIFIC TOPICS COVERED IN SUBMISSION (PLACED IN ORDER OF SIGNIFICANT COMMENT SUT NOT WEIGHTED FOR IMPORTANCE)
(1) CONSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS AND GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE. GENERALLY, PEOPLE WHO COMMENTED CALLED FOR GREATER DETAIL REGARDING THE STRUCTURE AND CONSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR SETTING UP THE SAR GOVERNMENT. LETTERS, IN PARTICULAR FROM INDIVIDUALS, SUGGESTED THAT THE NOMINATION OF SENIOR OFFICIALS BY THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE SHOULD BE BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE MAJORITY OF THE ELECTED LEGISLATURE TO PREVENT AUTOCRACY AND NEPOTISM.
(2) BASIC LAW.
MANY PEOPLE URGED THE INVOLVEMENT OF HONG KONG PEOPLE IN THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW. THEY THOUGHT THAT IT SHOULD BE SPELT OUT IN THE BASIC LAW THAT THE APPOINTMENT OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE BY CHINA WOULD MERELY BE A MATTER OF FORMALITY. SOME OTHERS UPSED THAT THE BASIC LAW SHOULD CLEARLY STATE THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE, INCLUDING HONG KONG CRIMINALS, WOULD NOT BE TRANSFERRED BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT TO WORK IN MAINLAND CHINA AND HONG KONG CRIMEALS WOULD NOT HAVE TO SERVE THEIR SENTENCE IN CHINA.
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