UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2014
OF 21070OZ JUNE 89
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
UNCLASSIFIED
AKB 020/14.
НКВ
TOP
PY
To Puest ?
DIST
119
032443
MDHIAN 0180
MIPT: MY LEGCO STATEMENT ON EVENTS IN CHINA
HONOURABLE MEMBERS
1. SINCE THIS COUNCIL LAST MET WE HAVE BEEN WITNESSES, ALBEIT FROM A DISTANCE, OF TRAGIC EVENTS. THESE EVENTS HAVE TAKEN PLACE MORE THAN A THOUSAND MILES AWAY. BUT THEY HAVE TOUCHED US VERY CLOSELY, NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE IMMEDIACY OF TELEVISION BUT BECAUSE HONG KONG
ITS PEOPLE AND ITS FUTURE ARE SO CLOSELY BOUND UP WITH CHINA. NONE
OF US HASBEEN UNAFFECTED BY WHAT HAS HAPPENED.
2. IT IS TIME NOW TO TAKE STOCK OF THESE EVENTS AND THE EFFECT THEY HAVE HAD ON OUR COMMUNITY. IT IS TIME TO FACE UP SQUARELY TO THE
PROBLEMS THEY HAVE BROUGHT AND TO DRAW THE RIGHT LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE.
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3. RECENT TRAGIC EVENTS IN PEKING AND ELSEWHERE IN CHINA HAVE SHAKEN CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG. IT COULD HARDLY BE OTHERWISE. BUT THEY HAVE ALSO PRODUCED A STRONG SENSE OF UNITY IN THE COMMUNITY. ONE SIGN OF THIS HAS BEEN THE CONSENSUS REACHED BY MEMBERS OF BOTH COUNCILS ON THE SHAPE AND SPEED OF FUTURE POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE TERRITORY. IF THE POSITION AGREED BY OMELCO IS ACCEPTED BY THE VARIOUS POLITICAL GROUPINGS IN THE TERRITORY, WE SHALL HAVE WHAT WE HAVE LONG BEEN SEEKING A WIDE CONCENSUS ON POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT TO REPLACE THE DIVERGENT VIEWS OF RECENT YEARS. THIS WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT. THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CERTAINLY WISH TO REFLECT THIS DESIRE FOR A MORE RAPID PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT IN PLANNING THE EVOLUTION OF OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS: FURTHERMORE WE WOULD HAVE ACHIEVED THE COMMON HONG KONG VIEW WHICH THE DRAFTERS OF THE BASIC LAW HAVE WANTED TO SEE TO HELP THEM CARRY OUR THEIR IMPORTANT WORK.
4. ANOTHER ELEMENT IN THIS EMERGING CONCENSUS IS THE COMMON WISH FOR A BILL OF RIGHTS OR EQUIVALENT LEGISLATION TO SAFEGUARD EXISTING FREEDOMS. THE ADMINISTRATION IS ALREADY WORKING HARD ON THE BEST OPTION TO PURSUE. I SHALL SAY MORE ABOUT THIS IN MY SPEECH TO THE
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