APP.
11
AND
1.6
AN INDEPENDENT MONITORING TEAM COMPOSED OF THE RT. HON. SIR PATRICK NAIRNE, GCB, MC, MA AND THE HON. MR. JUSTICE SIMON LI FOOK-SEAN, WAS APPOINTED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE
FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS. THE MONITORING TEAM WAS REQUIRED TO OBWERVE ALL ASPECTS OF THE WORK OF THE OFFICE AND TO SUBMIT AN INDEPENDENT REPORT TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE
ON WHETHER IT IS SATISFIED THAT THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE HAS PROPERLY, ACCURATELY AND IMPARTIALLY DISCHARGED ITS DUTIES AND HAS FAITHFULLY FOLLOWED THE PROCEDURES PRESENTED IN ITS
TERMS OF REFERENCE.
1.7
IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN ITS IMPARTIALITY AND THUS ITS
CREDIBILITY, IT WAS CONSIDERED IMPORTANT THAT THE OFFICE
SHOULD TAKE CARE NOT TO APPEAR IN ANY WAY TO BE INFLUENCING
PUBLIC OPINION. THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR PUBLISHING, PUBLICISING, INTERPRETING AND EXPLAINING THE DRAFT AGREEMENT RESTED, THEREFORE, WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. THE OFFICE CONFINED ITSELF TO AN ESSENTIALLY PASSIVE APPROACH TOWARDS
THE RECEIPT OF VIEWS ON THE DRAFT AGTEEMENT IN COMPLIANCE
WITH SECTION (A) OF ITS TERMS OF REFERENCE.
•
1.8
IN ORDER TO TELL THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG HOW
EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS ON THE DRAFT AGREEMENT, THE OFFICE PLACED
PAID ADVERTISEMENTS IN ALL THE MAJOR ENGLISH AND CHINESE
LANGUAGE NEWSPAPERS ON 27 SEPTEMBER AND 2 OCTOBER: FOLLOW-UP
ADVERTISEMENTS APPEARED IN 17 PAPERS ON 17 AND 19 OCTOBER.
COPIES OF THESE ARE AT APPENDICES 11 AND 11. THE FIRST
ADVERTISEMENT INVITED PEOPLE EITHER TO SEND THEIR VIEWS IN
WRITING TO THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE VIA ITS POST OFFICE BOX NO.
9000, OR TO EXPRESS THEM VERBALLY THROUGH REPRESENTATIVE BODIES SUCH AS DISTRICT BOARDS OR OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO WHICH YOU HAVE ACCESS'' IT EXPLAINED THE
TASK OF THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE AND WENT ON TO SAY THAT VIEWS EXPRESSED WOULD BE SUMMARIZED AND ANALYSED AND INCLUDED IN A
REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR WHICH WOULD THEN BE SENT TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE. IT STATED THAT THE REPORT TOGETHER WITH
THE FULL TEXT OF MAIN SUBMISSIONS FROM REPRESENTATIVE BODIES
WOULD BE PUBLISHED. THIS ADVERTISEMENT ALSO MADE THE POINT
THAT THE OFFICE WOULD NOT TAKE ANONYMOUS LETTERS INTO
ACCOUNT AND GAVE A CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR PEOPLE TO
RING WITH ENQUIRIES. THE SECOND ADVERTISEMENT URGED PEOPLE
NOT TO LEAVE THEIR COMMENTS UNTIL TOO LATE, AND UNDERLINED
THE POINTS THAT VIEWS WERE INVITED NOT ONLY ON OVERALL
ACCEPTABILITY BUT ON SPECIFIC ASPECTS AS WELL, AND THAT
PERSONAL PARTICULARS WOULD NOT BE PUBLISHED OR DISCLOSED. IT
ALSO STATED THAT LETTERS FROM INDIVIDUALS WOULD BE DESTROYED
BY MID-1985.(1)
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SECRET
11.9