TNAG-0268-FCO40-304-Petitions-from-rural-consultative-council-of-new-territories-1970 — Page 21

TRANSLATION

Lettor-head • NEW TERRITORIES HEUNG YEE KUK

6-8 Shung Tak Stroot, Tai Po Merlot, Now Tarritories,

HONG KONG

Sir,

1327/70

10th October, 1970.

:

We respectfully submit this memorandum requesting you, Sir, to instruct the Government of Hong Kong to confer upon (some) government post(s) in the low Territories Administration the ex officio nombership of Hong Kong's Executive Council, and also to appoint (sone) member(s) of the low Territories Heung Yoo Kuk to servo as unofficial Lenters on both the Executive and the Legislativo Councils. The grounds for our request are set out as follows

(1) All the official and Unofficial Members of the Executive and

the legislative Councils of liong Kong work for the benefits of Hong Kong's population as a whole. liowever, none of those Council members have to date had any interest in, or first-hand social, political, econonio knowledge of, the Now Territorios, and therefore it is hardly appropriate for them to represent the interests of the H.T. people. Mis state of affairs han stormed from the fact that the suid two Councils were first formed many decades ago, when the Now Territorias was still a sparsely populated rual community.

(2) To-day, the Hew Territories not only onbraces over

of

Hong Kong's total area of land, but also accommodates one fifth of the Colony's population. Thus, the N.T. is at presant politically and economically important in that it offers imense room for further expansion in local commerce, industry and population of the already saturated urban Hong Kong (Island) and Kowloon (Peninsula). In such circunstances, the H.T. people should naturally be represented on the said two Councils, so that their local welfare and well-being my not be neglected.

(3) Since people devoid of interests in, or first-and knowledge

of the New Torritories can serve as Official and Unofficial Henbers of the Executive Council and as Unofficial kabors of the legislative Council, it remains a puzzlo as to why the N.T. officiels cannot serve as official Tembors of the brocutive Council, and the 1.7. lewng Yee Kilk nembers cannot serve as Unofficial Kembers of the Recutivo cul legislative Commoils. Without the requested Ikv Territories' representation on the said to Councils, the Government of Hong Kong can scarcely

The Right Honourable Anthony Koyle,

Under-Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs, United Kingdom.

/convince the N.T. .....

I am a C