XN000022-1984-11-09 — Page 6

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1984

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'BIGGER FUTURE ROLE FOR HK PEOPLE'

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IN YEARS TO COME THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR GOVERNMENT WOULD REST MORE AND MORE ON PEOPLE CHOSEN BY HONG KONG PEOPLE, THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, MR DENIS BRAY, SAID TODAY.

SPEAKING AT THE ANNUAL SPEECH DAY OF THE KING GEORGE V SCHOOL. HE SAID THAT NEXT YEAR HONG KONG COULD EXPECT A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO BE CHOSEN BY HONG KONG PEOPLE – NOT BY THE GOVERNOR.

+THEY WILL BE IN POWER FOR THREE YEARS. THEY WILL HAVE

A GREAT INFLUENCE ON AFFAIRS IN HONG KONG.

+ THE MOVES TOWARDS A MORE REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, FORESHADOWED IN THE GREEN PAPER, AND DUE FOR THE IR FIRST STAGE

OF IMPLEMENTATION NEXT YEAR, WILL GRADUALLY MOVE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR OWN WELL-BEING MORE AND MORE FIRMLY ONTO OUR OWN SHOULDERS,+ HE SAID.

HONG KONG PEOPLE WOULD LOOK BACK ON 1984 AS A HISTORIC YEAR, AS IT MARKED AN IMPORTANT TURNING POINT FOR HONG KONG.

+ITS RATHER UNCERTAIN FUTURE AS A BRITISH COLONY DUE TO TERMINATE WITH THE END OF THE NEW TERRITORIES LEASE HAS BEEN REPLACED BY ONE ENSHRINED IN AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA DUE TO LAST INTO THE MIDDLE YEARS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, + HE SAID.

WHILE NOTING THAT THIS DOCUMENT WHICH SETS DOWN THE INTENTIONS OF THE TWO GREAT NATIONS IS NOT COMPLETE, MR BRAY NEVERTHELESS URGED THE COMMUNITY TO GET THEIR SENSE OF PROPORTION RIGHT.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE AGREEMENT ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG WAS NO MORE THAN A FOUNDATION, AND REITERATED THAT THE FUTURE LAY IN THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE.

+THE GOVERNMENT OF BRITAIN AND CHINA HAVE DONE THEIR PART IN EXPRESSING IN AS CLEAR A WAY AS POSSIBLE THEIR HOPES AND EXPECTATIONS FOR A PROSPEROUS AND STABLE FUTURE FOR HONG KONG.

+MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT: HONG KONG WILL BE WHAT HONG KONG PEOPLE MAKE IT, NOT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE MAKE IT, HE STRESSED.

TODAY'S CEREMONY ALSO MARKED THE OPENING OF A NEW BLOCK OF THE SCHOOL IN HO MAN TIN.

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