CONFIDENTIAL
Min SAUNDERS, HICH
The conde
Love Bull.
HAB OH 12
- Jo. 1892
(25)
All / Goolld
FROM: K A M Saunders
Hong Kong Department
mimila
Mr Ricketts
Ricket
Mr Hum
LEAST OM "/
си
PS/ME Goodlad
DATE: 19 June 1992
cc: PS/Mr Patten
Sir J Coles
An 2616.
HONG KONG POLITICAL SITUATION: LOCAL ATTITUDES TO
DEMOCRATISATION
A 1. Mr Goodlad might like to see the attached letter from Mr
Paul, which gives a good up-to-date reading of local Hong Kong opinion on the democracy issue. The two broad political camps have now set out their stalls publicly, and are stepping up their campaign to put pressure on us and influence the new Governor, at a time when they suspect key decisions are being made.
B
2. The main weapons in the liberals' armoury are their
position in LegCo and, their biggest gun of all,
Mr Martin Lee, who is so effective in mobilising
international (western) sympathy for his cause. Hence the
two LegCo motion debates due next week and the week after,
and Martin Lee's visits to France and Germany this week,
followed by the European Parliament in Strasbourg early next
month. Meanwhile Mr Allen Lee and a delegation of his CRC supporters are in Peking this week. Yesterday's Financial
Times reported their meeting with the Chinese Party
Secretary, Jiang Zemin and Jiang's remarks about chaos
versus political stability. In their confrontation with the United Democrats the CRC's trump card is the approval and
support of Peking.
KS1ADL/1
SLM
CONFIDENTIAL