SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
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PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
DSR 11C (Revised 5/87)
We and the Hong Kong Government will be taking a
careful look at the programme to advance and consolidate
democracy in Hong Kong. In recent years, Hong Kong has
been developing a more representative system of
government. When the Joint Declaration was signed in
1984 there were no elected members of the Legislation
Council. Now 26 members, almost half the total, are
indirectly elected. We have always sought to develop
representative government in line with the wishes of the
community as a whole and to ensure that what is achieved
under British administration is firm and durable.
will remain the guiding principles as we consider the way
forward. All the reforms up to and including those
announced last year for the introduction of 10 directly
elected seats in 1991 have been based on an assessment
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of what Hong Kong itself wanted.
There
It is now clear that Hong Kong opinion has moved on
since last year. That was plain before the massacre in
Peking. The unanimous proposal by the members of the
Executive and Legislative Councils (OMELCO) on 24 May
for a 50% directly elected legislature by 1997, moving to
full direct elections by 2003 was a most important
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indication of the emerging consensus.
But OMELCO
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indicated during my recent visit to Hong Kong that they
will want further time to consider their position in the
light of recent developments.
Britain will continue to construct its approach to
this question on the basis of the views that Hong Kong