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ROBACN
BACKGROUND
CONFIDENTIAL
1. The delegation from Hong Kong led by Mr Martin Lee, a Legislative Councillor, represents the lobby in favour of the introduction of direct elections in Hong Kong in 1988.
2. In May the Hong Kong Government published a Green Paper on developments in representative government. An independent Survey Office was established to collect and report on public views on the Green Paper. On 4 November the Survey Office report was published. It will now be studied by HMG and the Hogn Kong Government before the Hong Kong Government publishes its plans in a White Paper in February.
3. On the key question of the introduction of direct elections to LegCo, the Survey Office report suggests that most of those who take an interest believe there should be some element of direct elections before 1997. Opinions on introduction in 1988 are however sharply divided.
4.
The delegation is making what it sees as a final attempt to influence the outcome of the review. The group alleges, inter alia, that HMG and the Hong Kong Government made commitments in 1984 to introduce direct elections in 1988. No such commitments were made.
5. The delegation asked to see the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. In response the three Legislative Counsellor members of the delegation were offered a meeting with the Minister of State responsible for Hong Kong to be held this morning, 8 December. The three Legislative Councillor members, on meeting the Minister of State, declined to hold a substantive meeting unless all members of the delegation could participate. The Minister declined to agree to this proposal; the delegation presented to him a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, and then departed. The letter will be made public at noon. Before leaving Mr Lee also said that the delegation would be prepared to return in January at a time when they could be received by the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary.
CONFIDENTIAL