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THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG
would accept the draft agreement but I hope you will also take into account that I only accept it with much reluctance and with many reservations about the feasibility of its implementation. My heart is not truly at ease and I have no full confidence in our future. The whole thing has not been a very fair play to us because we have not had any say and there is no other alternative other than not to have an agreement at all."
---An individual
3.24 Although a few of the small number of organisations which have rejected the draft agreement have done so because of their inability to accept its specific provisions, most have scarcely touched upon those provisions, but rather have challenged the validity of the draft agreement and the right of Britain and China to determine the future of Hong Kong in this way. They have argued either for the status quo, or for Hong Kong to have the right of self-determination, or that any negotiations should have been with Taiwan and not with Beijing. They have stated that the PRC cannot be trusted to keep any promises made; the example of Tibet was quoted. The five groups of people who used stencilled proformas to communicate their views to the Office generally took the same line.
"They should render early support for the Hong Kong people to determine their own destiny by way of a referendum so as to avert the fate of future persecution by the communists.
-(Translation)
.
Cotton Bleaching & Dyeing Free Workers Union
"If Britain wants to abrogate or amend the treaties, she should approach the Republic of China as it is the legal party to these treaties.'
—(Translation)
The Sun Yat Sen Memorial Association of Hong Kong Ltd
3.25 The minority of individuals who rejected the draft agreement did so because of a complete inability to trust in its implementation because of the basic incompatibility of the two systems, or because of China's past history of political upheavals, or because of past personal experience. In some cases, there was so strong a dislike of one or more of the specific aspects of the draft agreement that acceptability as a whole became impossible. The strongest feelings expressed came from those who considered themselves adversely affected by the provisions on nationality.
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"The British Government ought to have compassion on those people who fled the cruelties of communist China to Hong Kong so as to assist in resettling them elsewhere."
-An individual
多多
"Britain cannot simply rescind a historic and moral responsibility of looking after her subjects. These people are legally British and cannot be made stateless.'
-An individual
Conclusion
3.26 The range of views expressed and summarised above reflects the uniqueness and complexity of the position in which the people of Hong Kong find themselves. The calmness with which the draft agreement was received and the reasoned response to it underlines its overall acceptability. There is a general feeling of relief and a wish to build Hong Kong's future on the foundation provided by the draft agreement.