)
84
GRS 900
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 161005Z AUG 85
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1653 OF 16 AUGUST
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
73
OUR TELNO. 1546: BASIC LAW.
HERPO!
ZOEIV
040/21
REGISTRY
2 0 AUG 1985
0 -SK OFFICER INDEX
PA
PA
THERE HAS NOT BEEN MUCH DEVELOPMENT ON THE BASIC LAW SINCE OUR LAST REPORT IN TUR: THE NEXT MAJOR STEP IS ACCEPTANCE BY THE HONG KONG MEMBERS OF THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING COMMITTEE OF THE DRAFT CONSTITUTION AND METHODS OF SELECTION OF MEMBERS OF THE BASIC LAW CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE. PROPOSALS HAVE BEEN DRAWN UP BY THE SIX-PERSON PREPARATORY SUB-COMMITTEE WHICH WILL BE PRESENTING THEM
AT A MEETING ON 20 AUGUST.
2. MUCH OF THE PAST TWO WEEK'S ACTIVITY HAS BEEN SUMMARISED IN OUR WEEKLY ROUNDUP OF PRESS COVERAGE (OUR TELNO. 1583 OF 6 AUGUST AND 1629 OF 13 AUGUST). THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ARE
RELEVANT:
A) DISTRICT BOARD INTEREST:
NO FORMAL DISCUSSIONS ON THE BASIC LAW HAVE BEEN HELD BY DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT DB MEMBERS ARE TREADING CAUTIOUSLY. MOST MEMBERS SEEM TO HAVE ACCEPTED THAT THIS IS NOT A SUBJECT FOR FORMAL DB INTEREST. THEY ARE AWARE THAT IF THEY WISH TO CONTRIBUTE THEY CAN DO SO AS INDIVIDUALS.
B) UMELCO INTEREST:
THERE HAS BEEN NO FURTHER DEVELOPMENT FOLLOWING THE FLURRY OF
INTEREST SHOWN BY LYDIA DUNN AND OTHER UMELCO MEMBERS IN
DISCUSSING THE SUBJECT BY LEGCO.
C) JUSTICE SIMON LIS BLCC PREPARATORY SUB-COMMITTEE:
REGITRY
Action Taken
みり
THE PREPARATORY SUB-COMMITTEE HAS HELD FOUR MEETINGS (23 AND 26 JULY, 6 AND 14 AUGUST). THEY HAVE RECEIVED ALTOGETHER 35 SUBMISSIONS, AMONG WHICH WERE NINE DRAFT CONSTITUTIONS FOR THE BLCC. AFTER THE FINAL MEETING ON 14 AUGUST, MR. JUSTICE LI DESCRIBED
THE DRAFT CONSTITUTION AS BEING READY FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE
帘
FULL COMMITTEE AND AS A 'PRODUCT OF PUBLIC OR POPULAR OPINION''.
THE PROPOSED ORGANISATION AND MEMBERSHIP OF THE BLCC HAS IN THE PAST WEEK ATTRACTED DIMINISHED ATTENTION AND INTERST AMONG THE VARIOUS GROUPS. THE FOCUS OF ATTENTION HAS BEEN ON THE DEGREE OR REPRESENTATIVENESS OF THE PROPOSED MEMBERSHIP AND ON HOW IT IS ELECTED. INFORMATION TO HAND SO FAR INDICATES THAT MR. JUSTICE LI'S GROUP WILL PROPOSE THE FOLLOWNG:
(A) THE BLCC'S FUNCTION WILL BE TO ELICIT, GATHER AND REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG ON ITS FUTURE CONSTITUTION
AND FUNCTIONING.
CONFIDENTIAL
/(B)