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The Basic Law is not just a handy anthology of debating points. It is the fundamental constitutional document of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It is the standard against which the community and the world will judge whether one country two systems means what it says whether tomorrow's Hong Kong, like today's, really will be a free and open society. In any debate about changes to the law, the community has a right to expect a full legal analysis to justify any change which is being proposed. Anything less, not only does a disservice to the people of Hong Kong. It also devalues the Basic Law itself.
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Let me make one other thing plain. This is not and must not be seen as - a matter of personalities, as some may be tempted to see it. It is far too important for that. It is about principles, principles which are at the heart of Hong Kong's way of life.
In the end, Hong Kong's autonomy under the Basic Law will only work if people stand up for it. The community will make up its own mind about the effect of the changes now being proposed. But we must also remember that Hong Kong is one of the great international cities of the world. No amount of self belief in Hong Kong itself will be enough if Hong Kong's partners stop being willing to give one country two systems the benefit of the doubt. We cannot dictate to the international community what they should think: they will make up their own mind on the basis of what those taking decisions about Hong Kong's future actually say and do.
Now I daresay some people will say that we're making too much of a meal of all this. That's not the impression I get from reading the newspapers and hearing what people have to say. I think there's one very simple question which has to be addressed. Is Hong Kong going to have the same freedoms after 1997 - yes or no? If the answer to that question is yes, then why, I repeat, do we need to make all these changes? And if the answer is no, we are entitled to learn just what is going to be usurped, just how much is going to be taken away, why that's going to happen and how it squares with the international covenants and all the other promises China has made.
As I say, that's a pretty simple question. It's one that I intend continuing to ask until I get some rather more satisfactory answers. I hope that you'll ask it too.
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