CONFIDENTIAL
116433
MDHIAN 2999
DO SO.
REACTION OF GENERAL PUBLIC
10. FOLLOWING PUBLICATION OF THE FAC REPORT HOPES ON THE NATIONALITY
ISSUE WERE NOT HIGH. THE TURN OUR FOR THE DEMONSTRATIONS ON THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S ARRIVAL REFLECTED THIS AND ALSO A DEEPER FEELING THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BEG BRITAIN FOR PASSPORTS. PEOPLE FELT THAT HONG KONG'S VIEWS HAD ALREADY BEEN MADE CLEAR TO
HMG BY THE HKG AND OMELCO IN LONDON AND WERE THEREFORE NOT OPTIMISTIC
THAT MORE WOULD BE ACHIEVED THROUGH THE VISIT. IN REPORTS FROM THE DISTRICTS MANY PEOPLE SAID THEY WERE UNSURE WHY THE SECRETARY OF
STATE HAD DECIDED TO COME AND TENDED TO SEE THE VISIT AS A
POLITICAL GESTURE AIMED AT DEMONSTRATING UK'S CONCERN FOR HONG KONG
TO THE INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE.
11. FOLLOWING THE VISIT, THE GENERAL MOOD WAS ONE OF RESIGNATION, DESPAIR AND A GOOD DEAL OF ANGER AT WHAT WAS DESCRIBED AS BRITAIN'S FAILURE TO MEET ITS MORAL OBLIGATION IN GRANTING HONG KONG PEOPLE
RIGHT OF ABODE IN UK. MANY PEOPLE WERE CRITICAL OF THE QUOTE SEVEN POINT PLAN UNQUOTE, DESCRIBING IT AS QUOTE EMPTY PROMISES UNQUOTE. THEY DOUBTED THE PRACTICALITY OF THE CALL FOR AN INTERNATIONAL EFF- ORT. THEY WERE ALSO CRITICAL OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S APPEAL TO
CHINA TO HONOUR THE JD AS DOING NOTHING PRACTICAL TO RESTORE PUBLIC
CONFIDENCE.
12. COMMENTS ON THE DEMONSTRATION AND WALKOUT STAGED BY LEE WING-TAT
AND SEVEN OTHER DB MEMBERS AT THE LUNCH I GAVE WERE LARGELY UNFAVOURABLE. THIS PERSONAL ATTACK ON THE SECRETARY OF STATE WAS CONSIDERED DISCOURTEOUS.
13. MORE POSITIVELY, THERE WERE SOME CALLS IN THE COMMUNITY TO STOP TALKING ABOUT NATIONALITY AND GET ON WITH A FASTER PACE OF DEMOCRATISATION. INCREASINGLY THERE WAS A FEELING GROWING THAT HONG
KONG PEOPLE MUST NOW LOOK TO THEIR OWN DEVICES.
REACTION OF COMMUNITY LEADERS
14. DISTRICT BOARD CHAIRMEN, WHILE APPRECIATING THE CHANCE TO SPEAK TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE, SAID THEY CAME AWAY DISAPPOINTED. THEY FELT THAT BRITAIN HAD MADE UP ITS MIND BEFORE HEARING THEIR VIEWS.
15.
SENTIMENT IN OMELCO WAS SIMILAR IF MORE REALISTIC. THE
SECRETARY OF STATE ARRIVED WHEN ANGER AT THE FAC REPORT WAS AT ITS
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