10
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2. 1989
"I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE STAND WHICH OMELCO HAS TAKEN REPRESENTS THE STAND OF HONG KONG PEOPLE, THAT IS THAT BRITAIN HAS A DIRECT AND CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY TO RESTORE FULL BRITISH CITIZENSHIP TO OUR 3.25 MILLION BRITISH SUBJECTS IN HONG KONG AND A MORAL OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE A SAFE AND SECURE FUTURE FOR THE ENTIRE POPULATION," SHE SAID.
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NO MATTER HOW FAIR BRITAIN THOUGHT THE SCHEME WAS ANY DISCRIMINATORY AND ELITIST TREATMENT OF THOSE "SCREENED IN" MUST PROVOKE ACUTE RESENTMENT AMONG THOSE WHO WERE "SCREENED OUT".
THE RESULT WAS THAT DIVISIVENESS WITHIN THE SOCIETY COULD BE AVOIDED. FRUSTRATION AND PERHAPS EVEN PANIC MIGHT ENSUE.
NOT
WILL
FOR THIS
HOW TO DEAL WITH AND PACIFY THE STRONG REACTIONS THAT INEVITABLY ARISE OUT OF THAT DIVISIVENESS WILL BE A PROBLEM GOVERNMENT TO DEAL WITH," SHE SAID.
THE PRESENT ESCALATING RATE OF EMIGRATION WAS ALARMING AND GAVE REAL CAUSE FOR CONCERN.
HONG KONG WAS BLEEDING PROFUSELY AS ITS PROFESSIONALS, ENTREPRENEURS AND TALENTED PEOPLE LEFT, AND UNLESS THE FLOW WAS ABATED, THE RESULTING ANAEMIA WAS BOUND TO EVENTUALLY ECONOMY.
DEBILITATE THE
MRS LAU SAID ANOTHER AREA WHICH SEEMED TO HAVE DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY UNDERMINED PUBLIC CONFIDENCE WAS THE MANNER IN WHICH DEVELOPMENT OF THE SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN ALLOWED TO TAKE AN INDECISIVE COURSE.
"INSTEAD OF OUR DEMOCRATIC PROCESS TAKING ITS NATURAL COURSE AT A PACE BEFITTING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR SOCIETY, THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION SEEMS TO BE SUCH THAT CHINA ACTUALLY DICTATES HOW MUCH DEMOCRACY HONG KONG SHOULD GET BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER 1997, SHE SAID.
SHE WAS DISAPPOINTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT, HAVING NOTED THE WIDELY HELD VIEW THAT THERE SHOULD BE A SOMEWHAT FASTER RATE OF DEVELOPMENT IN 1991, SHOULD NOT SEE FIT NOW TO ANNOUNCE THE REVISED COMPOSITION OF THE LEGISLATURE FOR THAT YEAR.
THE OMELCO PROPOSAL FOR POLITICAL REFORM FOR 1991 REPRESENTED A MASTERPIECE OF COMPROMISE ARRIVED AT AFTER FULL ARGUMENT AND CAREFUL DELIBERATION.
IT WAS QUICK ENOUGHT FOR THE LIBERALS, SLOW ENOUGH FOR THE CONSERVATIVES AND FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO ENABLE CONVERGENCE ΤΟ BE MADE WITH ALMOST ANY LATER MODEL UNDER THE POST-1997 POLITICAL INSTITUTION.
"WHAT OMELCO HAS PROPOSED CERTAINLY FALLS WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THE JOINT DECLARATION AND I URGE GOVERNMENT TO PROSCRASTINATE NO FURTHER IN FINALISING THE POLITICAL SYSTEM FOR 1991 UPON THE LINES OF THE OMELCO CONSENSUS, SHE SAID.
"
/MRS LAU ...........