The practical import of reversing the two para raphs, and slightly changing their wording, une to sound less grandiloquent, and closer to the reality of th situation, the other less abjectly submissive, may not be self-evident, and, therefore, deserves to be exemplified.
It restores a ruch needed equlibrium between the two protagonists of two very different systems, into whose hands the future of the people of Hong Tong has been placed, thereby rendering the Joint Declaration more confiden- ce-inspiring as to the reliance that can be put on the cooperation between Chiny and Great. Eritain, in maintaining stability and prosperity in Fong Kong.
It removes the disquiet and frustration that the vestigial irritant has not 1 : isolved and we might have a partie remise on our hands sometime in the futur
It makes China's claim that the treatics are not valid totally redundant, as there are, as it is, many valid geo-political reasons for the restoration of Hong Kong to China, and, I dare say, for the remification of Taiwan with the Motherland.
It will bring about the most welcome relief from the torrential stream of assır ances and re-assurances from people who, most of the time, do not know what they are talking art, and spare us from this monumental piece of fatuousness, the guarantes or stability and prosperity, as ro one on earth can do this from me year to the next, let alone for the next 63 years.
Most importantly, both Great Britain and China may then address themselves in samest to the maintenance of reace. For peace nexxxis more than the assuran- ces of stability and prosperity to be bandied about, to materialise. Neville Chamberlain's jaunty cry 'Peace in our time' can not that easily be forgotten.
And we will do well to recall that:
(WITHOUT THE RECOGNITION OF HUMAN RIGHTS, WE SHALL NEVER HAVE PEACE
'IN FACT, THE WORK POR PRACE IS BASICALLY A WORK FOR THE MOST ELEMENTARY HUMAN RIGHTS THE RIGHT TO EVERYONE TO SECURITY AND FREEDOM FROM FEAR.'
These words are as true to-day, as on the day Dag Hammarskjold had spoken them, and we can not more than if we believe in the dignity of our fellow m.. as much as in our omla
And that's what it's all about.
There is no need to go through the Joint Declaration and bring out point by point. what needs to be done, because the Pong Yong Government knows full well what needs to be done, and so do the mentors of Parliament who have already read the Joint Declaration, as it doesn't really ropuire a careful stud to see where it door meet the basic criteria of democracy, and where it does not.
As for China, it has gone on record that, in agrodance with a decision taken by the People's Congress, consequent on Chainran Deng Xiaoping's wish, it will maintain the 'one-country-two-systans' in Hong Kong for 50 years past 1997. This rather obviously implies that the Basic Dw must not only in patches reflect. a decratic form of Government, but in actual fact, and for all intent and purposes, be steered in democratic laws, rules and regulations.
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