GPS360
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 2710OOZ
CONFIDENTIAL-
•
HKK 040/46
RECEIVED! REĢIST
2 8 NOV 1984
(264
FM HONG KONG 270935Z NOV 84
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 3620 OF 27 NOVEMBER
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
260)
YOUR TELNO 2349.
DERY *FICER
INDEA
PA
TAL
HONG KONG AGREEMENT : REPORTS OF ASSESSMENT OFFICE AND MONITORING
TEAM
ON 29 NOVEMBER, WE INTEND TO MAKE THE REPORTS AVAILABLE TO THE
PRESS AT 5 PM HK TIME (090OZ), EMBARGOED COPIES WILL BE GIVEN
TO THE MEDIA AT A LOCK-IN SESSION IN THE GIS THEATRE. DURING
THE LOCK-IN SESSION, SHA WILL GIVE A BRIEFING (ATTRIBUTABLE TO
GOVERNMENT SOURCES NOT TO NAMED OFFICIALS) AT 5:30 PM. SHA
WILL DEAL WITH QUESTIONS ALONG THE LINES ON TELEGRAM UNDER
REFERENCE.
2. WE SUGGEST THAT THE ANSWER TO QUESTION E SHOULD INLCUDE A
REFERENCE TO THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
ON THE DRAFT AGREEMENT ON 26 SEPTEMBER. HE SAID : I NOW URGE
EVERYONE IN HK TO READ THESE DOCUMENTS MOST CAREFULLY AND TO COME
FORWARD WITH THEIR VIEWS. IT IS VITAL THAT THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT
SHOULD HAVE THE FULLEST POSSIBLE ACCOUNT OF THE VIEWS OF
HK PEOPLE WHEN THE TIME COMES FOR PARLIAMENT TO CONSIDER THE
MATTER AND TO DECIDE WHETHER THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE
AUTHORISED TO SIGN AN AGREEMENT ON WHICH THE FUTURE WELL-BEING
OF HK'S MORE THAN FIVE MILLION PEOPLE WILL DEPEND.''
3. AS REGARDS QUESTION G, AND THE FIGURE OF 77 PERCENT QUOTED IN
THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST ETC., RESPONDENTS WERE ASKED TO
INDICATE THEIR AGREEMENT OR DISAGREEMENT TO THE STATEMENT IT'S
NOT A VERY GOOD AGREEMENT, BUT THE BEST THAT COULD BE EXPECTED
UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES''. THE RESULTS WERE:
AGREE A LOT (17PERCENT): AGREE A LITTLE (60 PERCENT): NEITHER
AGREE NOR DISAGREE (4 PERCENT): DISAGREE A LITTLE (8 PERCENT): DISAGREE A LOT (1 PERCENT): DON'T KNOW (10 PERCENT): SCMP ADDED
UP THE PERCENTAGES OF THE FIRST TWO CATEGORIES TO OBTAIN THE
FIGURE OF 77 PERCENT.
•
4. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND POSSIBLE ANSWERS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
A. WHY NOT A REFERENDUM?
THE GOVERNMENT BELIEVED THAT A PROCESS OF CONSULTATION THROUGH THE WELL DEVELOPED CHANNELS FAMILIAR TO HK PEOPLE WAS THE BEST WAY
TO OBTAIN AN ASSESSMENT OF THE FULL RANGE AND QUALITY OF
OPINIONS ON THIS COMPLEX MATTER.
CONFIDENTIAL
18.