CONFIDENTIAL
002313 MDHIA 1867
HONG KONG ON THE QUESTION OF DEMOCRACY.
4.
THE ACTIVITIES OF THE FAC WERE EXTENSIVELY AND FAVOURABLY REPORTED IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PRESS. THE CHINESE PRESS GAVE SOMEWHAT LESS COVERAGE AND TOOK A GENERALLY MORE CYNICAL VIEW WITH MANY COMMENTS THAT THE COMMITTEE'S ACTIVITIES WERE ESSENTIALLY A PR EXERCISE. THIS DICHOTOMY IN SOME WAYS REFLECTED THE COMMITTEE'S ACTIVITIES. IT WAS ESSENTIALLY AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE OCCASION. SZETO WAH, WHO WAS THE ONLY PERSON GIVING FORMAL EVIDENCE IN CANTONESE, HAD MUCH OF HIS ORATORICAL SKILLS LOST IN TRANSLATION. ALTHOUGH THE COMMITTEE HEARD A RANGE OF VIEWS, THEY CAME FROM THE ENGLISH SPEAKING ELITE WHO ARE OF COURSE A SMALL MINORITY OF THE WHOLE POPULATION. THE COMMITTEE MADE AN EFFORT, WHICH WE ENCOURAGED AND MOSTLY ORGANISED, TO MEET SOME MEMBERS OF DISTRICT BOARDS AND THOSE FROM MORE GRASS ROOTS LEVELS. BUT, INEVITABLY, SUCH INFORMAL CONVER- SATIONS WERE LESS DETAILED THAN THE SESSIONS FOR FORMAL EVIDENCE.
5. THE COMMITTEE WORKED HARD AND WILL HAVE LEARNED A GOOD DEAL IN THEIR SHORT STAY. THEY WERE STRUCK BY THE AMOUNT OF BITTERNESS TOWARDS THE UK EXPRESSED TO THEM ON THE SUBJECTS OF NATIONALITY AND VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE. ALSO BY A GENERAL LACK OF INTEREST, OUTSIDE MOST OF THOSE GIVING FORMAL EVIDENCE, IN THE BASIC LAW.
IN THE BASIC LAW. THEY WERE TOLD VARIOUSLY BY OTHERS EITHER THAT THEY HAD LITTLE FAITH IN ITS EFFECTIVENESS, OR THAT PEOPLE SAW LITTLE POINT IN GIVING THEIR VIEWS ON THE SUBJECT TO THE FAC. IN DEALING WITH THIS SUBJECT, MEMBERS OF THE FAC STILL GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY HAVE NO REAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROCESS OF DRAFTING THE BASIC LAW AND OUR OWN DELICATE BUT EFFECTIVE POSITION IN THE PROCESS. (THIS DESPITE ALL OFF THE RECORD ATTEMPTS TO BRIEF THEM). THEY TACKLE THE SUBJECT AS THOUGH IT WAS A BILL GOING THROUGH PARLIAMENT OR, AT LEAST, A MATTER FOR DIRECT DETAILED NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN HMG AND CHINA.
6.
I SHOULD BE INTERESTED IN ANY VIEWS ON THEIR VISIT TO HONG KONG WHICH THE AMBASSADOR PICKS UP WHILE THE FAC ARE IN PEKING.
WILSON
YYYY
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