OLIGARCHY, COMMUNISM, OR DEMOCRACY?
Hong Kong at the Crossroads
Speech by Mr. W.M. Sulke, OBE, JP at the Rotary Club of Victoria
on Monday, 17th February 1986 at the Furama Hotel, Hong Kong
Almost exactly two years ago I made a speech which was really the first public independent statement on the problems facing us in our continuing negotiations with the Government of the People's Republic of China. At the time I made myself very unpopular with those in power (on both sides!) by advocating not only independence for Hong Kong but a referendum to prove that the overwhelming majority of Hong Kong's population wanted independence, and I have certainly felt some backwash from my outspokeness since making that speech.
However, the speech, had a remarkable effect on a lot of people. Complete strangers came up to me in the oddest places to shake me by the hand and thank me for speaking out. My standard reply
to this and to the many letters I received was to say that it
wasn't enough for one man to speak out, everybody had to do it.
Slowly at first, and then later with a great rush, people did just that! There was a remarkable display of political courage
which I am sure had some, although probably only a small, effect
on the 1997 negotiation then taking place.
At the time I had no great faith that we were going to get a
reasonable agreement, which was one of the reasons why I
suggested breaking off the negotiations, then waiting for
China's unilateral declaration of policy for Hong Kong after
1997, then having a referendum on the subject, and then going
back to the negotiating table. In the event we got a very much
better agreement than I was expecting and it is, in my opinion,
an agreement with which we can all live. But, of course, it is
one thing to have an agreement, it is another to fill out the
details and make it work.
For the benefit of those who have lost sight of the central
issue, let me restate it: Here we are a very small capitalist
"
quasi city state with a lot of economic and financial clout
FINAL