WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 1934
10
GOVERNMENT TOLD TO +REACH OUT FOR REACTION+
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AN APPEAL TO THE GOVERNMENT TO ACTIVELY SEEK TO INFORM AND EXPLAIN THE SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENT ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG AND REACH OUT FOR REACTION RATHER THAN WAIT FOR VIEWS TO FILTER UP WAS MADE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY)
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MOVING THE MOTION STANDING IN HER NAME - THAT THE COUNCIL WELCOMED GOVERNMENT'S INITIATIVE TO TEST THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THE AGREEMENT - THE HON MISS LYDIA DUNN STRESSED SHE WAS NOT SUGGESTING THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD SEEK TO INFLUENCE OPINION.
+ IT WOULD BE DISASTROUS IF THERE WAS THE SLIGHTEST
SUGGESTION OF THAT,+ SHE TOLD COUNCILLORS, BUT WHAT I AM SUGGESTING IS THAT THE GOVERNMENT, THROUGH THE MULTIPLICITY OF CONTACT POINTS AVAILABLE TO IT, MUST MAKE SURE THAT THE WIDEST POSSIBLE CROSS SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY HAS DIRECT ACCESS TO THE RELEVANT DOCUMENTS AND EXPLANATORY MATERIAL AND IS MADE AWARE OF THE IR RIGHT I WOULD SAY THEIR DUTY TO MAKE THEIR VIEWS KNOWN TO THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE AND IS ENCOURAGED TO DO SO.+
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MISS DUNN SAID SHE ALSO BELIEVED THAT THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE SHOULD CONSIDER COMMISSIONING SOME INDEPENDENT SURVEYS WHICH WOULD AT LEAST VALIDATE OR CAST SOME - +1 REPEAT SOME+ - DOUBT ON THE SUBJECTIVE JUDGEMENTS OF THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE.
SHE SAID SHE UNDERSTOOD THE POINT MADE BY THE FOREIGN SECRETARY, SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, THAT ONCE THE AGREEMENT WAS PUBLISHED IT COULD NOT BE CHANGED, BUT SHE URGED THAT IF AN OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG HAD RESERVATIONS ABOUT A CRITICAL ELEMENT OF THE AGREEMENT BOTH THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS MUST BE PREPARED TO RECONS IDER IT.
ON THE HOLDING OF A REFERENDUM, MISS DUNN SAID WE WERE ALL AWARE OF THE DRAWBACKS OF THIS TECHNIQUE AND OF THE PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES OF USING IT IN HONG KONG'S SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT IT HAD BEEN SUGGESTED BY SOME THAT IF THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE WAS UNABLE TO ARRIVE AT A DEFINITIVE VIEW AS TO PUBLIC REACTION TO THE AGREEMENT AS A WHOLE OR, WORSE, THERE APPEARED TO BE A SERIOUS DIVISION OF OPINION THEN THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONSIDER HOLDING ONE ON A SIMPLE +YES+ OR +NO+ BASIS.
+ I HOPE THAT THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE SUCH AS TO RESULT IN AN AMBIGUOUS LET ALONE SPLIT REACTION, FOR ALL OF US IN HONG KONG WANT AN AGREEMENT, MISS DUNN STRESSED.
+ BUT IT MUST BE SEEN TO BE CLEARLY AN ACCEPTABLE AGREEMENT, BRINGING A NEW CHAPTER IN OUR HISTORY, PRESENTING NEW CHALLENGES AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES.+
/EARLIER, MISS