XN000022-1989-07-05 — Page 22

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WEDNESDAY. JULY 5, 1989

DEMOCRACY NO SUBSTITUTE FOR RIGHT OF ABODE

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HONG KONG PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO TAKE UP ABODE IN BRITAIN CANNOT SUBSTITUTED BY THE INTRODUCTION OF DIRECT ELECTIONS IN THE TERRITORY AT AN EARLIER DATE. THE HON JAMES TIEN SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY WEDNESDAY).

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SPEAKING IN THE MOTION DEBATE ON THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE REPORT, MR TIEN SAID HE EARNESTLY HOPED BRITAIN WOULD NOT ESCAPE RESPONSIBILITIES TO HONG KONG BY MEANS OF ONE MAN, ONE VOTE.

"FOR THEM, IT IS FAR EASIER TO OFFER THE SHADOW OF DEMOCRACY THAN TO GIVE US THE SUBSTANCE OF THE RIGHT OF ABODE. HONG KONG PEOPLE WANT THE SUBSTANCE, NOT THE SHADOW, HE SAID.

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HE ENVISAGED THAT IF THE RIGHT OF ABODE WERE GRANTED, THEN BRITAIN WOULD BE FORCED TO MAKE A SUCCESS OF HONG KONG AS THE PRICE OF "FAILURE" HERE WOULD BE THE PROSPECT OF HAVING SOMETHING BETWEEN THREE TO SIX MILLION HONG KONG EMIGRANTS.

IF. HOWEVER, HONG KONG WERE GIVEN THE VOTE, RATHER THAN THE RIGHT OF ABODE, THEN BRITAIN COULD ENJOY THE CONVENIENCE OF RELAXING, WHETHER THINGS GO WELL OR ILL.

MR TIEN REGRETTED THAT THE COMMITTEE HAD APPARENTLY EVADED HONG KONG'S PROBLEMS AND THAT NO SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY COULD BE DETECTED IN ITS REPORT.

EMPHASISING THAT BRITAIN WAS HONG KONG'S URGED THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT NOT ΤΟ RECOMMENDATIONS, AND ACT INSTEAD TO SOLVE RESTORATION OF CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG.

THE

SOVEREIGN STATE, HE

ACCEPT THE REPORT'S URGENT NEED FOR THE

GRADUAL CHANGE STILL

IN MR TIEN'S VIEW, THE ARGUMENT AGAINST HELD GOOD AND THE NEED FOR RESPONSIBLE LEGCO MEMBERS REPRESENTING FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES WAS STILL VERY EVIDENT.

"WHAT HAPPENS IN CHINA, OR INDEED, ELSEWIIERE IS NOT ALWAYS RELEVANT TO THE PACE OF POLITICAL CHANGE HERE. CHINA'S PROBLEMS ARE, NOT OF COURSE, OUR PROBLEMS BUT THE SPEED AT WHICH WE MOVE FORWARD IS DETERMINED SOLELY BY EXTERNAL EVENTS, HE SAID, ADDING THAT THIS WAS ONE OF THE FATAL FLAWS IN THE FAC'S ARGUMENTS.

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MOREOVER, HE BELIEVED ONCE EMOTION HAD SUBSIDED OVER RECENT

REVIVED EVENTS IN CHINA, THEN WE MUST RELATE THE

BASIC LAW TO THE QUESTION OF POLITICAL CHANGE IN HONG KONG AND THE CONCEPT OF CONVERGENCE COULD NOT BE RULED OUT.

HE

CONVINCED THAT THE BRAIN DRAIN WOULD HARDLY BE INFLUENCED THE EARLY INTRODUCTION OF ONE MAN, ONE VOTE ELECTIONS,

HOPED EARLIEST OMELCO POSITION WHICH SUGGESTED

FULL DIRECT ELECTIONS HONG KONG BY THE YEAR 2000 WOULD NOT BE HASTILY ABANDONED.

BY

THE

IN

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