TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1984
IF THEY SURVIVED, THE IR VALUE OF LIFE WOULD CHANGE AND THEY WERE WILLING TO SWIM ACROSS SHARK-INFESTED WATERS TO COME TO HONG KONG FOR FREEDOM.
+HENCE, ONE DOES NOT SEE DANCING AND CELEBRATIONS IN THE STREETS OF HONG KONG WHEN THE SETTLEMENT OF THE IR FUTURE IS ANNOUNCED, MR CHAN SAID.
HOWEVER, THESE +BELIEVE-NOTS+ SHOULD NOT DESPAIR, FOR THERE WERE MANY WHO CAME TO HONG KONG IN RAGS AND BECAME RICH WITHIN 10 YEARS.
THESE +BEL IEVE-NOTS+ STILL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO DO SO BY LEARNING SOME SKILL OR EXPERTISE, BY LEARNING ENGLISH, WORKING AND SAVING HARD AND RUNNING A SMALL BUSINESS, VERY SOON THEY WOULD FIND THAT THEY HAD AN OPTION TO STAY OR EMIGRATE BEFORE 1207.
+HELP TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY STABLE AND PROSPEROUS NOW AND SEE WHETHER CHINA'S MODERNISATION PROGRAMME COULD SUCCEED BEFORE MAKING THE FINAL DECISION, HE SAID.
IN CONCLUSION, MR CHAN SAID HE COULD ONLY COMMEND THE DRAFT AGREEMENT TO THE +BELIEVERS+ AND HE COULD PERSUADE THE +EEL IEVE-NOTS+ THAT IT WAS THE BEST WHICH COULD BE OBTAINED UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
PEOPLES' FEARS RAISED BY STEPHEN CHEONG *****
PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE JOINT DECLARATION HAVE BEEN MOSTLY FAVOURABLE SO FAR, YET IT IS AN EQUALLY HONEST OBSERVATION THAT QUITE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE - DEEP IN THEIR MINDS - STILL CANNOT DIS ARD THE IR FEAR THAT CHINA MIGHT RENEGE ON THE JOINT
DE
ARATION VIA THE BASI: LAW.
THE HON STEPHEN CHE ONG SAID THIS TODAY (TUESDAY) DURING THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DEBATE ON THE MOTION ENDORSING THE DRAFT AGREEMENT.
HE SAID THEY SEEMED TO BE ASKING WHAT SAFEGUARDS WERE THERE AGAINST THE BASIC LAW BEING CHANGED FOLLOWING A CHANGE IN THE POLITICAL LEADERSHIP IN CHINA, WHAT SAFEGUARDS WERE THERE THAT CHINA WOULD NOT UNDULY INTERFERE WITH THE POLICIES OF THE FUTURE SAR GOVERNMENT, AND HOW COULD WE BE SURE THAT THE ONE COUNTRY, TWC SYSTEMS CONCEPT WOULD WORK?
+GIVEN CHINA'S TURBULENT PAST THESE FEARS ARE PERHAPS NATURAL AND UNDERSTANDABLE, MR CHEONG SAID, BUT IN MY VIEW, OUR FUTURE CERTAINLY WILL NOT LIE IN OUR PEOPLE CONSTANTLY HAVING FEARS AND DOUBTS.
/+WE SOKEHOW