XN000022-1984-05-30 — Page 6

VRONISDAY, MAY 30, 1904

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HE EXPLAINED THAT THIS WAS BECAUSE IF THE DEBATE WAS TO BE MEANINGFUL AND EFFECTIVE, MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS SHOULD BE PRESENTED WITH PERTINENT ISSUES IN THE VIEW OF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE.

MR LO ALSO REPLIED TO THE CRITICISM IN BRITAIN THAT AS THE UNOFFICIALS WERE NOT ELECTED, THEY DID NOT REPRESENT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.

+OUR CRITICS SEEMED TO HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT ALL ALONG WE HAVE BEEN EMPHASIS ING THAT OUR PURPOSE WAS MERELY TO REFLECT PUBLIC OPINION.

+OUR POSITION PAPER IS A SYNOPSIS OF THE VIEWS WE HAVE GATHERED IN OUR CONTACTS WITH THE PEOPLE THROUGH ADVISORY AND CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEES, COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL ORGANISATIONS, THE URBAN COUNCIL, DISTRICT BOARDS, KAIFONG ASSOCIATIONS AND OTHER CIVIC BODIES, AND THROUGH REPRÉSENTATIONS FROM INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANISATIONS RECEIVED BY THE UMELCO OFFICE, HE SAID.

+ANY DISCERNING PERSON WOULD SEE THAT OUR CRITICS WERE NOT MOTIVATED BY THEIR WISHING TO HEAR MORE REPRESENTATIVE VIEWS BUT MERELY TO AVOID GIVING DIRECT ANSWERS TO THE POINTS WE RAISED, HE ADDED.

MR LO ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE DELEGATION HAD HELD MEETINGS WITH A LARGE NUMBER OF MPS, THE FOREIGN SECRETARY SIR GEOFFREY HOWE AND THE PRIME MINISTER MRS MARGARET THATCHER. IT ALSO ATTENDED THE DEBATES ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON MAY 16 AND THE HOUSE OF LORDS ON MAY 21.

+TWENTY-THREE MPS SPOKE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS DEBATE, AND THEY ALL AGREED THAT THE AGREEMENT SHOULD INCLUDE DETAILS OF ALL ARRANGEMENTS AFTER 1997. THIS IS TANTAMOUNT TO AGREEING WITH THE FIRST OF THE FOUR SUGGESTIONS MENTIONED IN THE POSITION PAPER.

+HOWEVER, FOR THE REMAINING THREE SUGGESTIONS, THERE WAS NO CONSENSUS VIEW,+ HE SAID.

ON THE HOUSE OF LORDS DEBATE, HE SAID THAT 10 PEERS SPOKE AND ALMOST ALL APPRECIATED THE NEED TO PRESERVE THE RIGHTS OF BRITISH NATIONALS IN HONG KONG AFTER 1997.

THEY PROPOSED THAT THE AGREEMENT MIGHT BE SIGNED IN TWO STAGES, SO THAT BOTH THE CHINESE AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS COULD HAVE MORE TIME TO CONSIDER THE VIEWS AND WISHES OF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE.

MR LO CONCLUDED HIS SPEECH BY QUOTING WHAT SIR S.Y. CHUNG HAD SAID ON MAY 23:

+THERE IS NO TOPIC IN HONG KONG WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT AND MORE URGENT THAN THE ISSUE OF OUR FUTURE, OUR VISIT WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING. UMELCO AND ALL OF US IN HONG KONG HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF WORK AHEAD IF WE ARE GOING TO SECURE A GOOD FUTURE NOT ONLY FOR THE PRESENT GENERATION BUT ALSO FOR OUR CHILDREN.+

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