Dear Richard,
PETER BOTTOMLEY, M.P.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
LONDON SWIA OAA
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DIRECT ELECTIONS
PS/Lord Glenarth's
M McLaren
Mr Houta
22 January 1988
PRU.
Fossed Dixor fres
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It was good to hear from you. I would not claim to know more about Hong Kong than anyone else does.
I have only made three visits. On the first one people said please arrange some viable future with our big neighbour. On the second one (when that was in prospect) people said don't make too many changes which would harm prosperity and stability.
Recently, a number of people seem to be saying that immediate widespread direct elections would provide a guarantee after 1997. Many others thought that was a mistaken attempt to change the physical and political geography of Hong Kong.
I can tell you that the Martin Lee message has been heard and will be considered together with the other messages which are coming forward.
In fact, I have great confidence that things will not go wrong except by mistake.
Having been a bit of a Hong Kong watcher for a decade or more, I have never seen more that a week pass by without the Hong Kong press and some people in Hong Kong getting excited.
APS
26%
Yours sincerely,
Reva
Richard Hitchman Esq.,
A 16 Celestial Garden, 5 Repulse Bay Road, Hong Kong.
нев olle
1 FEB 1988