GRS 300
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
ник охо/у 30 1985
MEGISTRY Action Taker.
(285)
FM HONG KONG 29030OZ JUL 35
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1546 OF 29 JULY
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
BASIC LAW
THE INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING COMMITTEE
(BLDC) AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MONTH AND THE CURRENT MEETINGS
OF THE SIX-MEMBER COMMITTEE APPOINTED BY THE HK MEMBERS OF THE
BLDC TO DRAW UP A CONSTITUTION FOR THE BASIC LAW CONSULTATIVE
COMMITTEE (BLCC) HAVE INTENSIFIED BOTH GENERAL AND PARTICULAR
INTEREST IN THE WHOLE QUESTION OF THE BASIC LAW.
2. AS YOU ARE AWARE WE ARE MONITORING THIS ACTIVITY AS CLOSELY
AS POSSIBLE, AND TWO DEVELOPMENTS OVER THE PAST WEEK ARE SUCH
AS TO MERIT A SEPARATE REPORT.
3. FIRST IS THE INTEREST OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS. ON 20 JULY FIVE
MEMBERS OF THE WONG TAI SIN BD ANNOUNCED THEIR INTENTION TO TABLE A MOTION ON BASIC LAW DRAFTING. AFTER CONSULTING THE DISTRICT OFFICER, HOWEVER, THEY DECIDED NOT TO PROCEED WITH THEIR MOTION ON THE GROUNDS THAT IT DID NOT COMPLY WITH THE FUNCTIONS OF DISTRICT BOARDS AS DEFINED IN THE ORDINANCE.
4. IT WAS ALMOST CERTAINLY THIS INITIAL MOVE OF THE WONG-TAI SIN DB WHICH INSPIRED THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN DB (MR VINCENT KO) TO SEEK GOVERNMENT'S ADVICE THROUGH HIS DISTRICT OFFICER AS TO WHETHER THE BASIC LAW MIGHT PROPERLY BE DISCUSSED AT FORMAL MEETINGS OF THE DB. AT THE TIME OF MAKING THIS ENQUIRY, HESWAS REPORTED BY THE ECONOMIC JOURNAL AS SAYING THAT DB CHAIRMEN AND MEMBERS HAD THE FINAL SAY ON THE AGENDA OF MEETINGS AND THE GOVERNMENT COULD NOT INTERFERE.
5. THIS IN TURN LED TO THE CONVENING OF A MEETING ON SATURDAY 27
JULY OF 34 DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS FROM TWELVE DISTRICTS. AT THIS MEETING, ACCORDING TO A REPORT ISSUED ON SUNDAY, THEY AGREED TO HOLD MONTHLY MEETINGS AT WHICH VIEWS ON THE BASIC LAW WOULD BE AIRED AND TO ASK THE GOVERNMENT TO EXTEND THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF DISTRICT BOARDS SO THAT THE BASIC LAW MIGHT BE DISCUSSED FORMALLY
AT MEETINGS.
6. HOWEVER THESE THREE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS DO NOT BY ANY MEANS
REPRESENT A CONSENSUS. ALTHOUGH THE DESIRABILITY OF DISCUSSING THE
BASIC LAW HAS BEEN REAISED BY SEVERAL OTHER DB MEMBERS, A SIGNIFICANT
NUMBER HAVE EXPRESSED DIFFERENT VIEWS. THEY HAVE SAID PUBLICLY THAT
WHILE DISTRICT BOARDS SHOULD KEEP A CLOSE WATCH ON THE DRAFTING OF
THE BASIC LAW, THEY SHOULD DO SO OUTSIDE THE BOARDS. ONE OR TWO
BOARDS (E.G. SOUTHERN DISTRICT) HAVE DONE THIS BY SETTING UP A QUOTE
CONFIDENTIAL
/ BASIC