- 5
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1991
PRIME MINISTER: ONE OF THE DIFFICULTIES OF JUDGING THE FUTURE IS YOU HAVE TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS AND THEN FORM A JUDGEMENT UPON IT WHEN IT HAS HAPPENED. SO I THINK IT IS IMPOSSIBLE ΤΟ PROVIDE A HYPOTHETICAL ANSWER TO THAT PARTICULAR QUESTION. I THINK ON BOTH PARTS OF YOUR QUESTION WE HAVE TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN THE ELECTIONS, WE HAVE TO REVIEW WHAT HAPPENS, WE THEN HAVE TO CONSIDER THE VIEWS OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN ELECTED THEIR VIEWS ARE VERY IMPORTANT AND I DON'T THINK IT IS FOR ME TO MAKE JUDGEMENTS UPON THAT, THAT ARE JUDGEMENTS THAT ARE PROPERLY TO BE MADE AFTER PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ELECTED WHEN I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OF HEARING THEIR VIEWS AFTER THAT ELECTION. THAT AFTER ALL IS WHAT DEMOCRACY IS ABOUT AND I THINK IF I WERE TO SAY WELL, WHATEVER HAPPENS IN THE ELECTION I HAVE MADE UP MY MIND, I AM GOING TO DO THIS, THAT OR THE OTHER THING AFTER THE ELECTION I MIGHT LEGITIMATELY BE ASKED WHETHER I WAS NOT GOING TO CONSULT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ELECTED, AND I AM, SO I WILL HAVE TO DEFER MY ANSWER UNTIL I HAVE HAD THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
Q: CAN I FOLLOW THAT UP
+
PRIME MINISTER : I THINK THERE IS NOTHING MORE I CAN SAY, I ΤΟ THINK I HAVE COVERED BOTH PARTS OF THOSE QUESTIONS AND I WILL HAVE SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN THE ELECTION AND HEAR THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ELECTED.
IN
Q: WHAT'S WRONG WITH HAVING FULL ELECTIONS, FULL DEMOCRACY THIS COLONY BEFORE 1997? IS THAT A PATH THAT YOU YOURSELF PERSONALLY WOULD REALLY LIKE TO FOLLOW, WOULDN'T THAT SAFEGUARD HONG KONG BEFORE PEKING'S TAKEOVER?
PRIME MINISTER: WE HAVE HAD THOSE DISCUSSIONS PREVIOUSLY AND WE HAVE REACHED AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ELECTED. NOW, I AM NOT GOING TO GO BACK OVER PAST DISCUSSIONS, I DON'T THINK THAT'S PRODUCTIVE. WHAT WE ACTUALLY NEED TO DO IS TO MAKE SURE WE ARE ON A DEMOCRATIC PATH AND IT IS SUSTAINABLE AND WILL BE SUSTAINED AMID GENERAL AGREEMENT UP TO THE PERIOD IN 1997 AND BEYOND THE PERIOD IN 1997. IT IS ALWAYS AN ATTRACTIVE THOUGHT TO SAY WHAT IF AND COULDN'T WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT WE HAVE HAD AN AGREEMENT
HAS THAT
BEEN DETERMINED SOME TIME AGO.
THE WE CAN LOOK AT
MATTER MOMENT AGAIN AFTER WE HAVE HAD THE ELECTIONS IN THE WAY I DESCRIBED A OR 30 AGO.
DIDN'T THE FOREIGN SECRETARY RECALLS TO MY MIND THAT I RESPOND TO AN EARLIER QUESTION ON THE BILL OF RIGHTS. I APOLOGISE FOR THAT. IT WAS IN A WELTER, IF I MAY SAY SO, OF A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS UNDER THE GUISE OF ONE. HONG KONG HAS PERSISTED WITH ITS BILL OF RIGHTS AND I THINK THAT IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. THAT
BREN HASN'T QUESTIONED OR CRITICISED BY CHINA DURING MY VISIT AT ALL AND THEY
OF MY WELL AWARE OF WHAT HAS ACTUALLY HAPPENED AND THE WHOLE THRUST DISCUSSIONS IN PEKING IS THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ARE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE GREAT CARE OVER HUMAN RIGHTS GENERALLY AND RESPECT RESPECT THEM EVERYWHERE, BUT OF COURSE THAT MOST CERTAINLY RESPECT THEM HERE IN HONG KONG IN ALL THEIR ASPECTS. MISSED THAT POINT EARLIER.
ARE
THEM,
MEANS
I AM SORRY I
/Q: I BELIEVE