5
PEOPLE CLAIMING OWN HUMAN RIGHTS
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DUNN
THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG DO NOT DENY THE VALIDITY OF THE CHINESE CLAIM TO SOVEREIGNTY OVER THIS PART OF CHINA, THE HON LYDIA DUNN SAID AT THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE TODAY.
+BUT A FRAMEWORK WITHIN WHICH THEY ARE TO PURSUE THEIR LIVES IN THE FUTURE IS NOW BEING NEGOTIATED AND SO THEY FEEL THEY ARE JUSTIFIED IN LAYING CLAIM TO THEIR OWN HUMAN RIGHTS.+
+LIKEWISE, THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG DO NOT CLAIM THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NEGOTIATIONS THEMSELVES, SHE SAID.
BUT, UNLESS THE IR APPREHENSIONS ARE FRANKLY RECOGNISED BY BOTH GOVERNMENTS AND TAKEN ACCOUNT OF IN THE PROVISIONS OF THE AGREEMENT, THESE APPREHENSIONS WILL REMAIN, SHE SAID.
MISS DUNN POINTED OUT THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD AND ACCEPTED THE REALITY THAT THE NEGOTIATIONS WERE BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND CHINA.
+BUT THE TWO GOVERNMENTS, FOR THEIR PART, HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO BEAR IN MIND ANOTHER REALITY, NAMELY THAT THE OUTCOME OF THE NEGOTIATIONS WILL DETERMINE THE FATE OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG,+ SHE SAID.
SHE NOTED THAT THE DECLARED INTENTION OF BOTH GOVERNMENTS IS TO DEVISE ARRANGEMENTS, TO BE ENSHRINED IN A BILATERAL AGREEMENT, WHICH WOULD ENSURE THE CONTINUITY OF EXISTING SYSTEMS AND THE LIFESTYLE OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
THIS IS IN RECOGNITION OF THE HISTORICAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF HONG KONG: WHEREAS THIS TERRITORY IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE MAINLAND OF CHINA, THIS COMMUNITY HAS DEVELOPED A LIFESTYLE OF ITS OWN, SHE SAID.
+THIS IS NOT TO DENY THE ESSENTIALLY CHINESE QUALITY OF THIS COMMUNITY AND WE SHARE THAT SENSE OF PATRIOTISM WHICH BINDS ALL CHINESE TOGETHER, BUT IN UNITY NOT UNIFORMITY,+ SHE ADDED.
SHE SAID THAT AS SHE UNDERSTOOD IT, BOTH GOVERNMENTS ACCEPT THAT IT IS ONLY FAIR AND REASONABLE FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, AS WELL AS BEING IN THE INTEREST OF SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS, THAT CONTINUITY OF OUR FAMILIAR LIFESTYLE SHOULD BE SECURED.
THE TWO SYSTEMS - ONE COUNTRY CONCEPT, SHE SAID WAS
AN + IMAGINATIVE CONCEPT+.
+BUT THERE IS A DIFFICULTY: THE CONCEPT IS WITHOUT PRECEDENT AND INVOLVES SUCH A SHARP BREAK, FROM A CONSTITUTIONAL POINT OF VIEW, WITH THE PAST.+
+ IT IS NOT SURPRISING, THEREFORE, THAT THE PEOPLE ARE WORRIED AND ANXIOUS ABOUT THE ARRANGEMENTS WHICH WILL COME INTO PLAY AFTER THE TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY IN 1997, SHE SAID.
/CONCEDING THAT