THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 1990
SUCCESSFUL START WILL ENTITLE US TO MORE DEMOCRACY
* * *
IT WE CAN MAKE A SUCCESSFUL START TO OUR DEMOCRATIC PROCESS, WE WILL BE ABLE TO FURTHER NEGOTIATE WITH CHINA FOR RELAXATION OF THE GAG ON DEMOCRACY AND FOR OTHER IMPROVEMENTS TO THE BASIC LAW, THE MIRIAM LAU SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (THURSDAY).
HON
IN THE
SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE SENIOR MEMBER'S MOTION DEBATE ON THE FUTURE POLITICAL SYSTEM, MRS LAU SAID IT WAS MOST UNFORTUNATE THE POLITICAL FUTURE OF HONG KONG SHOULD BE DECIDED AT A TIME WHEN THE SINO-BRITISH RELATIONSHIP WAS MOST STRAINED AND MUTUAL TRUST AND RESPECT APPEARED TO BE LOWEST.
THE TRAGIC EVENTS LAST JUNE HAD SHOCKED HONG KONG AND THE WORLD BUT REPERCUSSIONS ON CHINA CAUSED BY WORLDWIDE REACTIONS AND THOSE OF HONG KONG'S COULD NOT HAVE BEEN UNFELT, SHE SAID.
SUBVERSION,
CHINA HAD BECOME PARANOID ABOUT DEMOCRACY BREEDING AND WAS OBSESSED WITH THE MISCONCEPTION THAT “IF HONG KONG SHOULD GET TOO MUCH DEMOCRACY, IT WOULD BECOME A BASE FOR SUBVERSION.
"THIS BEING THE CASE, WE MUST TRY TO CORRECT THE AND TAKE STEPS TO FOSTER BETTER UNDERSTANDING AND BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA, SHE SAID.
MISCONCEPTION
MUTUAL TRUST
MRS LAU SAID WE MUST PROVE BY ACTION THAT WE COULD BE ENTRUSTED WITH DEMOCRACY, AND THAT SUBVERSION HAD NO PART TO PLAY IN THE DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM WHICH WE SOUGHT.
OF
"WE ARE NOT ABLE AT THIS STAGE TO PROCURE A POLITICAL MODEL OUR CHOICE, BUT LET US THINK AND ACT POSITIVELY RATHER THAN RECRIMINATE.
"THE FRAMEWORK AVAILABLE IS NOT ONE WHICH WE CANNOT WORK WITH, PARTICULARLY IN RELATION TO 1991," SHE SAID.
MRS LAU STRESSED THAT IT WAS NOT JUST THE POLITICAL MODEL THAT MADE A DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM, AND THERE WERE MANY OTHER AREAS WHICH WE HAD YET TO WORK ON.
SHE SAID THAT A SUCCESSFUL DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM DEPENDED ON WHETHER WE HAD THE RIGHT PERSONS TO FILL THE ELECTED SEATS, WHETHER WE COULD GET ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORT AND ACTIVE PARTICIPATION FROM THE COMMUNITY, AND WHETHER WITH THE DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS WE COULD
STILL MAINTAIN AN EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT.
CIVIC EDUCATION AND PROMOTION OF KNOWLEDGE IN POLITICS WERE PRIORITY ITEMS WE HAD STILL TO WORK ON, SHE SAID.
MRS LAU SAID SHE DID NOT ACCEPT THE STATEMENT BY CHINESE OFFICIALS THAT THERE WAS NO WAY THE BASIC LAW COULD BE CHANGED AFTER IT HAD BEEN RATIFIED BY THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS.
/GIVEN THE
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