CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1990
OF 19053OZ JUNE 89
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
113
035457 MDHIAN 0358
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 020/14.
TOP COPY Q DIST?
PERSONAL FOR PAUL HKD FROM PS/GOVERNOR
MIPT: EVENTS IN CHINA
HONOURABLE MEMBERS
STATEMENT FOR LEGCO ON 21 JUNE 1989
SINCE THIS COUNCIL LAST MET WE HAVE BEEN WITNESSES, ALBEIT FROM AFAR, 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 HAVE BEEN UNAFFECTED BY WHAT HAS HAPPENED.
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.
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: IT WOULD BE THE COMMON HONG KONG VIEW WHICH THE DRAFTERS OF THE BASIC LAW HAVE WANTED TO SEE TO HELP THEM CARRY OUT THEIR IMPORTANT WORK. 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
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