GRS300 CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1252
OF 28023OZ MARCH 87
CONFIDENTIAL
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
TOP COPY TOPI Q DIST?
HUD 301/
DESK
3 1 MAR 1987
INDEX
YOUR TELNO 878 : PUBLIC ORDER (AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE
FURTHER TO YOUR TELNO 884 OF 261315Z MARCH, THIS IS A ROUNDUP
OF THE POSITION TO DATE. PRESS COMMENT HAS SUBSIDED QUITE CONSIDER-
ABLY THIS WEEK, EXCEPT FOR ONE OR TWO PAPERS.
2. THE ONLY LARGE SCALE MOVEMENT WAS THE WEEKEND RALLY (21.3.87)
BY OVER 300 STUDENTS FROM UNIVERSITIES AND TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS TO
GOVERNMENT HOUSE DEMANDING A DEMOCRATIC LEGCO AND DIRECT
ELECTIONS. TWO REPRESENTATIVES FROM HONG KONG JOURNALISTS ASSOC-
IATION WOULD BE FLYING TO THE UNITED KINGDOM TO LOBBY MPS AND POLITICIANS. MORE THAN 910 JOURNALISTS PARTICIPATED IN A SIGNATURE CAMPAIGN AND TOOK OUT A FULL PAGE ADVERTISEMENT (DECLARING THEIR PROTEST) IN SOME CHINESE PAPERS AND THE HONG KONG STANDARD.
3. SOME PRESS COMMENTS HAD DIVERTED THEIR CRITICISM ON THE PUBLIC ORDER (AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE TO THE UNREPRESENTATIVENESS'' OF THE PRESENT POLITICAL SYSTEM. THERE CONTINUED TO BE A FAIR AMOUNT OF PRESS COMMENTARIES AND ROUTINE REPORTS ON THE ON-GOING CAMPAIGNS BY MEDIA BODIES BUT THESE WERE GIVEN MEDIUM TO LOW KEY COVERAGE.
44.
ALTHOUGH THERE MIGHT CONTINUE TO BE SEMINARS AND DISCUSSIONS BY PRESSURE GROUPS AND DISTRICT BOARDS ON THE ISSUE, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT THERE WOULD BE ANY DRASTIC MASS ACTION IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THE ISSUE IS EXPECTED TO COOL OFF IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS WHEN ATTENTION IS EXPECTED TO FOCUS ON THE SETTING UP OF A SURVEY OFFICE TO MONITOR. PUBLIC REACTION TO THE PROPOSALS ON POLITICAL REVIEW.
5. THE CS GAVE AN OFF-THE-RECORD BRIEFING TO SELECTED JOURNALISTS ON 27 MARCH TO PUT ACROSS GOVERNMENT'S POSITION.
AKERS-JONES
HMLNAN 0785
HONG KONG AGREEMENT: RESTRICTED
LIMITED
HD/HKD
HD/FED
RESEARCH D. (FE)
DEP.HD/PUSD
PS/MR RENTON
MR GILLMORE
COPIES TO:
MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS
HONG KONG GOVT. OFFICE
CONFIDENTIAL
LONDON
STRY
AC 125 Taken
74)