PART I: THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN
HONG KONG
a) Developments to 1984
12. The unique circumstances of Hong Kong have determined the development of its representative institutions. The
policy of Her Majesty's Government in the case of other
Dependent Territories was to promote the development of democracy in preparation for eventual independence. But independence was never a realistic option for Hong Kong. Attitudes in the community reflected this reality. When relatively modest proposals to develop democracy were made by the then Governor in the period following the Second World War, they met with virtually no public support in Hong Kong. The territory's population had increased sharply, from about
600,000 in 1945 to 2.2 million by mid-1950. Most of these
were migrants from China, whose priorities were to make a
decent living for themselves and their families. In these
early post-war years there was widespread concern that political activity would have led to a replay in Hong Kong of civil war rivalries between the Nationalists and the
Communists.
13.
Some constitutional development was again considered in
the mid-1960s. But the Cultural Revolution in China caused
disruption and uncertainty in Hong Kong. Many in the community feared that elections would lead to open rivalry between the Communists and Nationalists which would have put
at risk the stability of Hong Kong. Local attitudes were also influenced by the knowledge that China was opposed to the introduction into Hong Kong of party politics and elections on western lines. There was no wish to provoke China into
challenging the status quo in pursuit of her standing claim to
sovereignty over Hong Kong.
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