CONFIDENTIAL
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104461 MDLIAN 9078
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1016
OF 30110OZ MARCH 89
13 COPY Q DIST
AMENDED DISTRIBUTION 31 MAR
CHED
301/1
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
LORDS DEBATE ON 23 MARCH 1989: MEDIA COVERAGE AND COMMENTS
SUMMARY
1. THE LORDS DEBATE ON 23 MARCH RECEIVED WIDE COVERAGE IN BOTH THE ENGLISH AND CHINESE MEDIA. ATTENTION FOCUSSED ON WHAT WAS REFERRED TO AS LORD GLENARTHUR'S ASSERTION THAT EXTENDING FULL BRITISH CITIZENSHIP TO HK PEOPLE WOULD RUN COUNTER TO BRITAIN'S RESPONSIBILITY UNDER THE JOINT DECLARATION. COMMENT WAS CRITICAL OF HMG.
MEDIA COVERAGE AND COMMENTS
2. APART FROM LORD GLENARTHUR'S REFERENCE TO THE JOINT DECLARATION
MOST OF THE PAPERS ALSO HIGHLIGHTED THE SPEECHES BY LORD WYATT AND LORD MACLEHOSE. THE MEDIA REPORTED INTERVIEWS WITH OMELCO MEMBERS WHO GENERALLY SAID THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO PRESS BRITAIN ON THIS ISSUE. RITA FAN WAS REPORTED TO HAVE COMMENTED THAT UK, AS THE SOVEREIGN COUNTRY, HAD A MORAL RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS HONG KONG AND SHOULD NOT REFUSE TO ISSUE FULL BRITISH PASSPORTS TO HONG KONG PEOPLE. ALLEN LEE WAS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID THAT BRITAIN'S REFUSAL TO AMEND THE NATIONALITY ACT WAS NOT/NOT UNEXPECTED.
3. FOUR PAPERS CARRIED EDITORIALS MING PAO, HONG KONG TIMES, WAH KIU YAT PAO AND THE SCM POST. ALL EXPRESSED DISAPPOINTMENT
WITH HMG'S RESPONSE AND URGED GREATER FLEXIBILITY ON THE PASSPORT ISSUE. IN A COMMENTARY IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE SCM POST ON 28 MARCH
MARGARET NG SAID THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT SHOWED A TOTAL HEARTLESSNESS OVER CALLS FOR AN QUOTE INSURANCE POLICY UNQUOTE FOR HONG KONG, AND THE POSSIBLE OPTIONS FOR EXTENDING THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN UK TO MORE HONG KONG PEOPLE HAD BEEN LARGELY IGNORED. SHE MAINTAINED THAT LORD GLENARTHUR'S SPEECH EXPOSED THE INSINCERITY OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TOWARDS THE PROBLEMS HONG KONG PEOPLED FACED AND ADDED THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THE FAC SHOULD DEFINITELY TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION IN ASSESSING THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S
ATTITUDE TOWARDS HONG KONG AND ITS FUTURE.
4. THE ISSUE OF WAR WIDOWS ALSO ATTRACTED SOME ATTENTION. HONG KONG
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