XN000022-1985-01-09 — Page 30

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1985

HE SAID HE WAS PERTURBED THAT SOME CANDIDATES HAD PUBLICLY EXPRESSED THEIR WISH TO CHANGE THE RULES OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SUCH AS CHANGING THE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE CROWN AS A PRE- CONDITION OF JOINING IT.

+DOES THIS UNDERMINE BRITISH SOVEREIGNTY FROM NOW TO 1997 AND THE CLEAR-CUT RESPONSIBILITY WHICH IS SO VITAL TO THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG?+ HE ASKED.

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DANGER OF SUPPRESSION OF DISSENT RAISED

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IN A CALL TO LEGISLATORS TO CARRY OUT THE IR DUTIES WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOUR, THE HON JOHN SWAINE SAID TODAY THAT SUPPRESSION OF DISSENT BY PRESSURE OR FEAR WERE AMONG HONG KONG'S GREATEST DANGERS.

SPEAKING ON THE WHITE PAPER ON REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT MR SWAINE SAID THAT DURING THE DEBATE ON THE DRAFT AGREEMENT LAST OCTOBER, HE HAD SAID WE MUST ENSURE THAT, WHEN THE TIME CAME, THE HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY PROMISED WAS NOT AN EMPTY PHRASE.

HONG KONG HAD TO PREPARE ITSELF IN THE YEARS AHEAD TO BUILD ITS OWN STRONG REPRESENTATIVE INSTITUTIONS SO THAT THE IDEAL OF HONG KONG PEOPLE ADMINISTERING HONG KONG BECAME A REALITY.

+ SUBSCRIBE THEREFORE TO THE AIM OF MEASURED PROGRESS IMPLICIT IN THE WHITE PAPER, AND TO THE EXPRESS AIM THAT THE SYSTEM SHOULD BE FIRMLY ROOTED IN HONG KONG AND SHOULD PRESERVE THE BEST FEATURES OF EXISTING INSTITUTIONS, + MR SWAINE SAID.

+IN THE PRESENT CLIMATE OF CHANGE, WE MUST NOT BE QUICK TO JETTISON OLD VALUES.

+WE MUST BE JEALOUS AND PROTECTIVE OF THE RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES WE ENJOY UNDER THE PRESENT SYSTEM, AND NOT YIELD TO PRESSURE OR BE SEDUCED BY HOPE OF GAIN.

+AS I SAID IN MY EARLIER SPEECH, THE SUPPRESSION OF DISSENT BY PRESSURE OR FEAR ARE AMONG OUR GREATEST DANGERS.

+WE MUST HAVE LEGISLATORS WHO ARE DEVOTED, I WOULD SAY PASSIONATELY DEVOTED, TO THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG, AND WHO ARE PREPARED AND ABLE TO CARRY OUT THE IR DUTIES WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOUR, WHATEVER MAY BE THE ULTIMATE FORM OF THE LEGISLATIVE OATH.+

THIS WAS ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT IN VIEW OF THE PROVISION IN CLAUSE I ANNEX I OF THE JOINT DECLARATION THAT THE EXECUTIVE AUTHORITIES SHOULD BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE LEGISLATURE, HE SAID.

+ I SUPPORT THE WHITE PAPER AND HENCE THE MOTION FOR ITS ASPIRATIONS AND ITS PROGRAMME OF MEASURED PROGRESS, + HE CONCLUDED.

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