TNAG-0008-FCO40-44-Proposal-to-appoint-Ombudsman-1967 — Page 12

R and R

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Sir:

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CHINA MAT 10/9/68

Shepherd's

'excuses'

attacked

Vis-a-vis Mr Brooke Ber- nacchi's recent talk with Lord Shepherd, it is sur- prising that a man of his acumen should have been led up the garden path, in a manner of speaking. In the first place, the excuse put forward to Mr Bernacchi by London for not having

any elected members on the Hong- kong Legislative Council is that of intervention by right- wing and left-wing parties in Hongkong.

I have before me a letter dated May 17th, 1968, signed by this same Shepherd, denying cate- gorically that there are any rightist or Taiwan activities in Hongkong, a diametrically opposite statement.

In the

Old theme

second place, the old theme of the Ombiisman crops up again.

Any senior official in Hongkong will tell Mr Bernacchi that this is the LAST thing the Govern- ment will permit.

An Ombudsman,

the very thought of it, would crack the whole facade of colonialist life in Hongkong wide-open, like a rotten apple.

In my opinion, the Government would prefer to abdicate, get out of Hongkong entirely, rather than appoint an Ombudsman.

These two themes-the MPs will do something, the Ombudsman is coming → are becoming stale. Our local politicians are doing a disservice to the public by harping on them, year in and year out.

Y. B. LOW Potato Hawker

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