HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 28 February 1990
香港立法局 一九九0年二月二十八日
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Instead of requiring the executive to be accountable to a democratically elected legislature as promised in the Joint Declaration, the Basic Law envisions an all-powerful Chief Executive who will be able to control a toothless and undemocratic legislature. These provisions make a mockery of the Joint Declaration and constitute a clear breach of its spirit, if not also its letter.
I urge, then, the Members of this Council to consider carefully what are the true interests of the people of Hong Kong. If the people of Eastern Europe had allowed themselves to be bound by the self-defeating logic that they must accept what they are given, that they should not aspire for democratic change, the heroic events of the last six months would never have happened. And though the students of China were unable to achieve their noble aims last spring, would any Member of this Council have advised them not to aspire to democracy because "we are Chinese and we are different"?
The main difference between Mr. Allen LEE's motion and Mr. McGREGOR's motion is that there is no sense of commitment and no clear direction in the former, for it merely urges the community in the interest of Hong Kong to be united in its efforts to achieve a successful democratic system. It says nothing as to what this Council would do on our part.
For these reasons I cannot in good conscience support the motion put forward by my honourable colleague, Mr. Allen LEE. But I do commend Mr. McGREGOR's motion to my honourable colleagues. For we must continue to fight for what we believe to be right; for ultimately we the people of Hong Kong will have the Government that we deserve.
Sir, Hong Kong is the eleventh largest trading country in this world. Its vitality is well-known and respected throughout the world. And yet our five and a half million peace-loving people have absolutely no say in our own future. Many a tear has been shed for us because of that. But are we prepared to do more for our own people?
Sir, the reality of the situation is that both motions are before this Council, and we must vote on both at the end of the debate. So we must either tell the people of Hong Kong that we still mean what we have said, in which case we must vote for Mr. McGREGOR's motion; or we tell them we no longer mean what we have said, in which case we should vote against it. Of course we are entitled to change our minds, but the public who is still strongly behind us, is entitled to know why.