XN000022-1986-11-05 — Page 28

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1986

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UNNECESSARY CHANGE MUST BE AVOIDED

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ALL REFORMS SHOULD AVOID CHANGE THAT IS UNPREDICTABLE IN ITS CONSEQUENCES, OR CAN DAMAGE HONG KONG'S PROVEN STRENGTH WHICH LIES FIRST AND FOREMOST IN ITS POSITION AS A COMMERCIAL CENTRE OF GLOBAL SIGNIFICANCE.

UNNECESSARY CHANGE COULD HARM THE TERRITORY'S PROSPERITY AND STABILITY, THE HON HELMUT SOHMEN SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) DURING THE DEBATE ON THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS.

+WHEN HE CAN NO LONGER PERFORM IN ECONOMIC TERMS AS WELL AS WE HAVE IN THE PAST HONG KONG WILL NOT MAKE IT, NO MATTER HOW SUCCESSFUL WE MIGHT OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN IN PRACTISING DEMOCRACY AND REPLACING THE MERCHANT CLASS WITH QUALIFIED STATESMEN,+ HE SAID.

MR SOHMEN SAID HE DID NOT WISH TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT ALL REFORMS WERE ANATHEMA OR SUSPECT. MUCH CHANGE WOULD NEED TO COME ABOUT IN IMPLEMENTING THE JOINT DECLARATION AND IN ENSURING CONTINUED PROGRESS, HE SAID.

HOWEVER, HONG KONG HAD DONE VERY WELL IN THE LAST 30 YEARS AND ITS ECONOMIC SUCCESS HAD EARNED IT, IN THE WORDS OF THE QUEEN, +RESPECT AND GOODWILL THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.+

HE REFERRED TO THE JOINT DECLARATION ON THE FUTURE, AND SAID THAT WITHOUT ITS ECONOMIC SUCCESS AND COMMERCIAL LEADERSHIP HONG KONG PROBABLY WOULD NOT WARRANT PARTICULAR CONSIDERATION AND BE GIVEN THE STATUS OF A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION WITH A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY.

HONG KONG, WITH A BELIEF IN GOVERNMENT BY CONSENSUS, HAD PRODUCED A POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT WHICH HAS BECOME THE ENVY OF MANY LARGER NATIONS, HE EMPHASISED.

+THIS SYSTEM HAS ALSO MANAGED TO GENERATE A SENSE OF UNITY AND DETERMINATION IN THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WHICH FINDS FEW PARALLELS IN MULTI-RACIAL AND MULTI-CULTURAL SOCIETIES WITH SUCH A SHORT HISTORY ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD, HE SAID.

MR SOHMEN SAID THAT WHETHER THE PERCEIVED NEED IN 1984 FOR REFORM WAS JUSTIFIED OR NOT WAS NOW NO LONGER THE ISSUE.

BUT THE POLITICAL REALITY OF TODAY HAD TO BE ADDRESSED AND IT CENTRED ON THE CALL FOR GREATER DEMOCRACY BY WAY OF DIRECT ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL FROM 1988 ONWARDS.

HE SAID THERE APPEARED TO BE CONFLICTING VIEWS AS TO WHAT DEMOCRACY ACTUALLY MEANT IN THE HONG KONG CONTEXT.

/DEMOCRACY WAS