SQ
UNCLASSIFIED
HKB
011/2017
TOP COP ?
026557
MDLIAN 6586
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 0446
OF 01133 OZ FEBRUARY 88
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKING
MIPT: ARTICLE BY MR MARTIN LEE
BEGINS
WHAT EVIDENCE I HAVE GIVEN HOWE
MARTIN LEE
LAST DECEMBER AND THIS JANUARY I WENT TO LONDON WITH SOME
/ FIRENDS WHO WERE IN SUPPORT OF DEMOCRACY, TO REFLECT TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT HONG KONG PEOPLE'S DEMAND FOR DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT SO AS TO FIGHT FOR DIRECT ELECTIONS IN LEGCO IN 1988. RECENTLY, THERE HAVE BEEN VARIOUS VIEWS ON THE SIGNIFICANCE AND EFFECTS OF OUR TRIPS TO BRITAIN, INCLUDING WHAT MR LAM HENG-CHI
ECONOMIC SAID IN A COMMENTARY COLUMN ON POLITICS IN THE HONG KONG JOURNAL ON JANUARY 26
.IN TAKING BRITAIN TO TAKSK FOR GOING BACK ON ITS WORDS ON THE DIRECT ELECTIONS ISSUE, THE QUESTION OF 'INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE' EMERGED..
THIS FULLY EXPOSES THE
11 I DO NOT AGREE DEMOCRATS AS 'NOT PLAYING ACCORDING TO THE RULES' WITH THIS VIEW AND FEEL THAT IT IS NECESSARY FOR ME TO WRITE DOWN MY PERSONAL FEELINGS AND THE REAL SITUATION AS I UNDERSTAND IT.
-
O
·
·
FIRST OF ALL, DURING THE 40-MINUTE MEETING I HAD WITH SIR GEOFFREY, HE DID SPEND MUCH TIME ASKING ME WHAT EVIDENCE THE GROUP COULD PROVIDE TO SUPPORT ITS ACCUSATION. I TOLD HIM CLEARLY THAT ALL THE EVIDENCE HAD BEEN COMPILED IN SEQUENCE AND PUT DOWN IN THE FIRST 10 PAGES OR SO OF THE GROUP'S POSITION PAPER. ONE WOULD A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF IT BY A QUICK GLANCE AND THERE WAS NO TO SPEND TIME READING IT OUT.
HAVE
NEED
HOWEVER, SIR GEOFFREY INSISTED ON ASKING, ''WHERE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT SENTENCE?' I TOLD HIM THAT THIS WAS UNFAIR. THE HONG KONG PEOPLE'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S PROMISE TO
IT WAS INTRODUCE DIRECT ELECTIONS IN 1988 WAS NOT GAINED OVERNIGHT. BASED ON THE TOTALITY OF DEVELOPMENTS BEFORE AND AFTER THE SIGNING OF THE JOINT DECLARATION AS WELL AS THE VARIOUS COMMENTS AND MEASURES BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT. THEREFORE IT COULD NOT BE BASED ON JUST ONE SENTENCE.
PAGE UNCLASSIFIED
1