[ME2AGI]
BACKGROUND
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1.
In November 1984
White Paper entitled "The
Government in Hong Kong".
Hong Kong Legislative
proposed:
the Hong Kong Government published a
Further Development of Representative
The Paper, which was endorsed by the
Council (LEGCO) in January 1985,
(a)
an increase in the number of Unofficial members of LEGCO
and
in the number of Official (ie civil
a decrease
servant) members;
(b)
the selection of 24 of
these Unofficials by indirect
elections
based
on
geographical and
functional
constituencies; and
(c)
a
further
review
2.
of
developments towards
more
representative government, including the possibility of
direct elections to LEGCO, in 1987.
recently,
The Chinese have expressed considerable concern
through formal and informal channels, over the extent
and pace of "democratisation" in Hong Kong between now and
1997. A particular point of concern to them is whether direct
elections will be introduced in the territory.
3.
on
Neither HMG nor the Hong Kong Government have taken any
decision on the possible introduction of direct elections,
the basis that this will be a matter for public consultation in
Hong Kong during the 1987 review.
There
considerable interest and debate in Hong Kong on
4.
is already
this issue.
Mr Ashdown has visited Hong Kong several times (most
recently in December) and has often spoken on Hong Kong issues
in the House. During the debate on the Hong Kong Agreement on
5 December 1984 he referred to a sense of "anger" and
"betrayal" on the part of some Hong Kong
the people over
Agreement, and called for direct elections to be introduced in
the territory.
In May 1985 he secured an adjournment debate
Hong Kong's Vietnamese refugee problem.
on
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