(20)
Redacted under FOI Exemption S 27(1)
CONFIDENTIAL
70243
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1
PARTICIPATED':
(K) WE SHOULD PREFER TO RETAIN THIS SENTENCE.
IT REMINDS
MINISTERS OF OUR OBJECTIVE: AND IT DOES NO MORE THAN EXPRESS A
HOPE:
(L)
AGREED. WE PROPOSE BEGINNING THE PASSAGE
(M)
2.
AGREED.
WE ARE IN GENERAL CONTENT WITH YOUR REDRAFT OF PARAGRAPH 28
ONWARDS, SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS ON THE TEXT IN
SECOND TUR :
(A) PARAGRAPH 28. WE SHOULD LIKE TO SALVAGE TWO SENTENCES FROM
OUR ORIGINAL DRAFT, WHICH WE FEEL MAKE AN IMPORTANT POINT FOR THE
BENEFIT OF MINISTERS. WE SUGGEST THAT WE ADD TO THE END OF THE
PARAGRAPH THE FOLLOWING:
(B)
'WE BELIEVE THE HONG KONG PEOPLE MUST CONTINUE TO BE THE
JUDGES OF WHERE THEIR OWN BEST INTERESTS LIE. WE WOULD DO
THEM A DISSERVICE IF WE URGED THEM TO GO FURTHER OR FASTER
THAN THEY FEEL IT IS PRUDENT TO GO'.
PARAGRAPH 29. THE FIRST SENTENCE NEEDS A CONSEQUENTIAL
ADJUSTMENT AND SHOULD BEGIN 'MANY PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WILL
CONTINUE TO FAVOUR CAUTION AND WILL NOT WISH
THE SECOND
AND THIRD SENTENCES PERHAPS GIVE THE IMPRESSION TO A NON-HONG
KONG READER OF A MORE RADICAL CALL FOR CHANGE THAN IS BEING MADE
BY ALL EXCEPT AN EXTREME ELEMENT. WE SUGGEST A SMALL ADJUSTMENT:
'HOWEVER, THE PAST TWO OR THREE YEARS HAVE SEEN THE
EMERGENCE OF A MORE POLITICAL ELEMENT IN THE HONG KONG
COMMUNITY, WHO CRITICISE WHAT THEY SEE AS A PERPETUATION
OF UNDESIRABLE COLONIAL ELEMENTS IN THE PRESENT SYSTEM OF
GOVERNMENT. THEY HAVE TAKEN THE LEAD IN DEMANDING A FASTER
PACE OF CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE
(C)
PARAGRAPH 30. NO COMMENT.
(D) PARAGRAPH 31. WE HAVE NO AMENDMENTS TO PROPOSE, BUT
THE PENULTIMATE SENTENCE REPRESENTS A STARKER JUDGEMENT
THAN YOU HAVE MADE HITHERTO.
WE NOTE THAT ALMOST CERTAINLY'
CONFIDENTIAL