The Honourable Mrs. Elsie TU, C.B.E.
ہا ہے
peth Llewelyn,
422/3
Member of the Urban and Legislative Councils, Hong Kong
杜葉錫恩
香港市政局議員,立法局議員
Dear Mr. Hurd
the
16 March 1993
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On 10 February 1993 I wrote to tell you that the two-thirds support for his political proposals claimed by Governor Patten was untrue. I estimated that he had very little support for his plan compared with the majority desire for a smooth transition in 1997, which now seems remote if Mr. Patten remains adamant that he knows best what is good for Hong kong.
I have now carried out a written opinion poll among the 40 Members of the Urban Council, the oldest and most democratic body in Hong Kong. I myself have been a directly elected member with the highest number of votes for the past 30 years. I currently represent the Urban Council on the Legislative Council, having twice been elected unopposed to that position. Those are my credentials.
Twenty-two of the 40 Members replied. I know that 55% is not an ideal return, but I also know that several members did not reply because they do not recognise that Mr. Patten has the right to act on an issue which concerns, and always has concerned, two sovereign states, Britain and China. The Joint Declaration was signed by Britain and China (not Hong Kong), and Hong Kong citizens, including myself, were consulted but did not enact the Basic Law. The exchanges in 1990 were between China and Britain only. Rightly or wrongly, Hong Kong has never been included as a party to the agreements between the sovereign states. Mr. Patten has therefore changed the goal-posts, and added some pre-conditions.
The results of my questionnaire (copy enclosed) are very clear. The 55% who replied form a good cross-section of the Council's membership, which includes 15 directly elected, 15 appointed and 10 indirectly elected from District Boards, two-thirds of which are directly elected from their districts. The persons I polled can therefore claim to represent those who voted in all urban areas of Hong Kong and Kowloon. Mr. Patten has repeatedly ignored the opinions of these democratically elected bodies.
I enclose the result of my opinion poll. It speaks for itself, that between 80% and 90% are opposed to the major points in the Patten package.
I have also spoken to many civil servants of all ranks, from drivers to directors, and the percentage of those who oppose the Patten package is even higher than that of the Urban Council. As to the man-in-the-street, he will say when questioned, almost without exception, that he prefers a smooth transition to the "Patten trouble". I do not know many of Mr. Patten's supporters, but those I do know include mainly barristers, academics and non- Chinese.
Our only hope would seem to be the removal of Mr. Patten from Ilong Kong before greater damage is done. Britain has always denied us a say in our future here, and by thrusting this package on us is still denying us freedom of choice and democratic rights.
Legislative Council Building
8 Jackson Road, Central, Hong Kong Tel: 5264027
Fax: 8452444
香港中區昃臣道八號立法局大樓
55 Kung Lok Road, 6/F
Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: 3422414, 3898599
Fax: 3434854, 3895048
九龍觀塘功樂道55號七樓