GRS 1950
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKEY 16120OZ FCO
TELNO 3408
OF 16103OZ WCTOBER 26
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
Confidential
HKK
RREGISTRY 31 OCT 1986
DESK OFFICER INDEX
PA
Acti
MIPT: REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT
BEGINS
THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT
IN HONG KONG
تاف
OPY
?
(393)
see Cade
BACKGROUND
IN 1984 THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT PUBLISHED GREEN AND WHITE PAPERS
ENTITLED THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT
IN HONG KONG''. THEIR PURPOSE WAS TO EXTEND THE DEVELOPMENT OF
REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT TO THE TOP TIER OF THE GOVERNMENT
STRUCTURE IN HONG KONG, THUS MARKING A FURTHER STAGE IN A PROCESS
WHICH BEGAN IN THE LATE 1970'S WITH THE SETTING UP OF DISTRICT
ADVISORY BOARDS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES. AND CONTINUED WITH THE
REPLACEMENT OF THE BOARDS, IN 1982, BY STATUTORY DISTRICT
BOARDS IN ALL EIGHTEEN ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICTS OF HONG KONG ISLAND,
KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES.
2. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS WAS, IN ITSELF, THE CULMINATION OF EARLIER GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES TO ENCOURAGE THE
PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO PARTICIPATE MORE ACTIVELY IN THE PROCESS
OF ADMINISTERING THE DISTRICT IN WHICH THEY LIVE.
3. INITIALLY THE GOVERNMENT SELECTED SPECIFIC ISSUES, ON WHICH THERE ALREADY EXISTED A HIGH LEVEL OF PUBLIC CONCERN, AS A CATALYST FOR ENCOURAGING COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION AND PROMOTING MORE CIVIL
CONSCIOUSNESS.
THIS PROCESS INCLUDED MAJOR CAMPAIGNS AGAINST LITTER AND CRIME AND TO ENCOURAGE THE FORMATION OF COMMITTEES TO IMPROVE THE MANAGEMENT
AND SECURITY IN MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS. THE DISTRICT OFFICES OF THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION, WHICH ARE ESTABLISHED IN ALL DISTRICTS OF THE TERRITORY, PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THIS PROCESS OF COMMUNITY BUILDING''. THEY ARE NOW AT THE HUB OF AN EVER GROWING NETWORK OF LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITY-BASED GROUPS WHICH THE GOVERNMENT CAN DRAW FOR ADVICE, AND FROM WHICH IT RECEIVES A CONSTANT FLOW OF INFORMATION.
4. THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN TO EXTEND THE PROCESS OF GOVERNMENT THROUGH CONSULTATION, IN SUCH A WAY AS TO ENSURE THAT ALL SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY FEEL THAT THEIR VIEWS CAN BE HEARD. THE (NOW) NINETEEN DISTRICT BOARDS COMMAND A WIDE MEASURE OF RESPECT AND SUPPORT IN
Confidential
THE