12
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1985
ACCORDINGLY, AMENDMENTS WERE MADE AT THE COMMITTEE STAGE AND SUCH AMENDMENTS HOPEFULLY WOULD BE REASSURING, HE ADDED.
WHILE STUDYING IN DEPTH CLAUSE 14(2), MR CHEONG SAID IT HAD BROUGHT HOME TO HIM A FEW HOME TRUTHS ABOUT HONG KONG.
+THE TRUTH IS THAT HONG KONG HAS NEVER EXISTED AS A TOTALLY INDEPENDENT TERRITORY.
+SHE WILL NOT AND CANNOT EXIST IN FUTURE AS A TOTALLY INDEPENDENT TERRITORY.
+WE SURVIVED AND THRIVED UNDER BRITISH SOVEREIGNTY AS A COLONY AND WE AIM TO SURVIVE AND PROSPER UNDER CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY AS A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION, HE SAID.
OUR LEGISLATURE, HE CONTINUED, NOW OR IN THE FUTURE, ELECTED OR APPOINTED, WAS AND WOULD ALWAYS BE SUBJECT TO SOME LIMITATIONS AND WE COULD NOT DEMAND OR EXPECT TO BE GIVEN POWERS WHICH WERE EQUAL TO THOSE ENJOYED BY INDEPENDENT SOVEREIGN STATES.
HE POINTED OUT WE SHOULD NOT AND COULD NOT FOR EXAMPLE INVESTIGATE INTO AREAS OF DEFENCE, NATIONAL SECURITY AND FOREIGN POLICY.
+CLAUSE 14(2) STARKLY REMINDS US OF THIS REALITY AND NO ONE SHOULD HARBOUR ANY ILLUSIONS AS TO THE REASONS FOR OUR EXISTENCE AND THE ROUTE ALONG WHICH WE MUST TRAVEL IN ORDER TO ATTAIN STABILITY AND PROSPERITY IN THE FUTURE.
+ THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG CANNOT AFFORD TO BE BLINDED BY IDEALISTIC ASPIRATIONS FOR THE FULL TRAPPINGS OF A WESTERN-STYLE DEMOCRACY, + HE SAID.
TURNING TO THE EXPERIENCE OF THE UNOFFICIALS WHO HAD TO FACE CONSTANT DILEMMA DURING THE DELIBERATION OF THIS BILL, MR CHEONG SAID THE AD HOC GROUP, ESPECIALLY THE CONVENER, WERE UNDER TREMENDOUS MENTAL PRESSURE FROM ALL SIDES IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS.
+WE EVEN HAD TO DISPEL AN UNFOUNDED THEORY THAT THIS BILL WAS BEING USED AS A POLITICAL WEAPON AGAINST THE CONVENER.
+A SHEER FANTASY | MIGHT ADD BUT NEVERTHELESS A DAMAGING ONE.
+IN SHORT, BATTLE TACTICS OF THE JUMPING ON TO THE BANDWAGONERS APPEARED TO HAVE WORKED WELL INTO PUSHING ALL OF US INTO A CORNER, HE SAID.
ELABORATING FURTHER ON THE IR DILEMMA, MR CHEONG SAID: + IF WE SUCCUMB TO DEMANDS WHICH ARE NOT BACKED BY ADEQUATE REASONINGS AND WERE TO DELAY THE THIRD READING UNTIL THE NEXT SESSION, WE WOULD RUN A REAL RISK OF SELLING HONG KONG DOWN THE PATH OF INEFFICIENT ADMINISTRATION WITH PRESSURE GROUPS HAPPILY BLARING OUT THE IR SO-CALLED WISHES OF THE PEOPLE IN EVERY SINGLE ISSUE OF THE DAY.
/+IF WE
*