CONFIDENTIAL
6424
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REPRESENTATIVE AND CLOSELY KNIT: IT IS SUPPLEMENTED BY A NETWORK OF OVER 400 ADVISORY BODIES: IT HAS EVOLVED AS A RESULT OF A CONTINUING CONSULTATIVE PROCESS BETWEEN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT
AND THE HONG KONG COMMUNITY.
25.
LOOKING AHEAD TO DEVELOPMENTS IN REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS THE PUBLIC WILL BE CONSULTED ON RECOMMENDATIONS STEMMING FROM A REVIEW CARRIED OUT IN 1985 OF SYSTEMS PROVIDING FOR REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES. ONE POSSIBILITY WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BE PUBLICLY EXAMINED IS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF
INTO AN INSTITUTION TO ENQUIRE, ON AN INDEPENDENT BASIS, COMPLAINTS ALLEGING MALADMINISTRATION BY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS. (PARAS 26-46 AS PARAS 24-44 OF HONG KONG DRAFT.)
47.
THE OPENING OF NEW BRIDGES AT MAN KAM TO, SHA TAU KOK AND LO WU IMPROVED COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND THE SHENZHEN SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE OF CHINA. THESE, TOGETHER WITH THE LOK MA CHAU BRIDGE WHICH IS DUE TO BE COMPLETED IN 1988, SHOULD PROVIDE SUFFICIENT CAPACITY TO COPE WITH THE EXPECTED GROWTH OF TRAFFIC
OVER THE BORDER INTO THE NEXT DECADE.
(PARAS 48-49 AS PARAS 46-47 OF HONG KONG DRAFT.)
VII.
50.
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES CONTINUED TO ARRIVE IN HONG KONG, ALTHOUGH THE 'CLOSED CENTRE' POLICY, WHICH THE CONTINUING FLOW OF ARRIVALS TOGETHER WITH THE FALL IN THE RATE OF OVERSEAS RESETTLEMENT HAD COMPELLED THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT RELUCTANTLY AGREED TO ADOPT, WAS EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING THE SIZE OF THE INFLUX. THE RATE OF RESETTLEMENT REMAINED DISAPPOINTINGLY LOW. IN SEPTEMBER 1985 HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT JOINTLY WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED SEVERAL MEASURES AIMED AT REDUCING THE SIZE OF HONG KONG'S REFUGEE POPULATION: HMG WOULD RELAX ITS FAMILY REUNION CRITERIA TO PERMIT SOME 500 REFUGEES NOW IN HONG KONG CAMPS TO SETTLE IN THE UK: HMG WOULD ALSO CONSIDER ACCEPTING FURTHER LIMITED NUMBERS FROM HONG KONG DEPENDING UPON THE RESPONSE OF OTHER COUNTRIES AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE TIME: AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD BE PREPARED TO CONSIDER ACCEPTING A LIMITED NUMBER OF ETHNIC CHINESE FROM THE CAMPS, BUT ONLY AS PART OF AN INTERNATIONAL EFFORT TO REDUCE DRASTICALLY THE
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CONFIDENTIAL