CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1957
OF 24114OZ JULY 92
CONFIDENTIAL
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Paitres
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HKB 11/5
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, MANILA
051502
MDHIAN 3259
24
PERSONAL FOR RICKETTS, HKD FROM, GOVERNOR
MANILA PERSONAL FOR SECRETARY OF STATE'S PARTY
MEETING WITH POLITICAL GROUPS
1. I HAD MEETINGS WITH THE UNITED DEMOCRATS OF HONG KONG (UDHK) AND THE CO-OPERATIVE RESOURCES CENTRE (CRC) ON 20 JULY AND WITH MEETING POINT, THE HONG KONG DEMOCRATIC FOUNDATION CHKDF), THE DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE FOR THE BETTERMENT OF HONG KONG (DABHK) AND THE ASSOCIATION FOR DEMOCRACY AND PEOPLE'S LIVELIHOOD CADPL) ON
23 JULY.
2. I MADE IT CLEAR TO ALL THE GROUPS THAT I SAW THESE AS PRELIMINARY MEETINGS, AT WHICH I WOULD WISH TO SEEK THEIR VIEWS ON VARIOUS ISSUES, AND THAT I HOPED WE WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE REGULAR MEETINGS IN THE FUTURE. IN ALL THE MEETINGS, THE MAIN SUBJECT OF DISCUSSION WAS CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT. THIS TELEGRAM RECORDS THE MAIN POINTS THAT CAME OUT OF MY DISCUSSIONS WITH THE VARIOUS LIBERAL GROUPS AND THE CRC. MIFT CONTAINS MORE A MORE DETAILED ACCOUNT OF MY MEETING WITH DABHK.
3. THE VARIOUS LIBERAL GROUPS REPRESENT VERY DIFFERENT STRATAS OF SOCIETY. FOR EXAMPLE, THE HKDF IS AN ALMOST ENTIRELY PROFESSIONAL GROUP, WHILE THE ADPL IS VERY MUCH BASED IN THE GRASS-ROOTS. BUT THERE WAS NEVERTHELESS A GREAT DEAL OF COMMON GROUND IN THEIR THINKING ON CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN NOW AND 1997.
4. THE MAINS POINTS THAT EMERGED WERE:
(A) THERE WAS GENERAL, AND OFTEN EXPLICIT, RECOGNITION THAT THE CHINESE WOULD NOT BE PREPARED TO CHANGE THE BASIC LAW. ALTHOUGH HMG WAS COMMITTED TO RAISING THE SUBJECT OF MORE DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS IN 1995, NO-ONE REALLY EXPECTS THAT THIS WILL BE ACHIEVED.
(B) THE LIBERALS ARE THEREFORE BEGINNING TO FOCUS ON WHAT VAN BE DONE TO PERMIT MORE DEMOCRACY WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF THE BASIC
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