3. The Dilemma.
3:1
The representations we have received, as well as referring to constitutional issues, speak also of the "moral" obligation on the British Government and the British people to do everything within their power to secure the well being of the people of Hong Kong. When christian organisations in Hong Kong address churches in Britain they naturally expect that full regard will be paid to these "moral" considerations.
3:2
Decisions of Governments are rarely detirmined solely by "moral" considerations. In the present case the spokespeople of both Her Majesty's Government and Opposition seem more inclined to speak about their perceptions of what is politicly acceptable.
3:3
The churches of Hong Kong have evidenced a deep commitment to the future of Hong Kong, and their desire to make it possible for the people of Hong Kong to continue to live in the place they consider to be their home. They believe that the vast majority of the people of Hong Kong want to stay in Hong Kong. They were ready to accept the Sino-British Agreement on the future of Hong Kong, despite defects in the processes which led to the accord, as a satisfactory solution to one of the problems left over by history. The paradox they have to argue is that in order to enable people to stay it is necessary to give them the ability to leave.
4. A Bill of Rights.
4:1
Sir Geoffrey Howe announced on July 5 that a Bill of Rights for Hong Kong will be introduced as soon
soon as posssible.
4:2
It is essential that priority should be given to the enactment of this Bill, and in order that it might provide the kind of security the people of Hong Kong are looking for, it is
that some form important that it should be fully justiciable, and of international guarantee be given to the Bill to deter any subsequent arbitrary annulments of its provisions.
5. Rapid Progress Towards Directly Elected Representative Government.
5:1
The Government has accepted that the climate of opinion in Hong Kong is in favour of a faster rate of change.
5:2
Government appears to be saying that it is important to to achieve a consensus in Hong Kong for proposed reforms. Whilst many will be encouraged by this affirmation of the importance of consensus in Government, they would urge that consensus is normally sought to detirmine what is politically right, but not to detirmine whether what is right should be done. In any case the absence of fully democratic institutions in Hong Kong makes the ascertaining of a consensus a subjective undertaking for the Administration.