TNAG-0523-FCO40-618-Visits-of-members-of-Urban-Council-from-Hong-Kong--to-UK-1975 — Page 128

CONFIDENTIAL

1/2 (29)

MKCK'S Flags G

~KK3/540/3

2

HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL:

1.

QUESTION OF ELECTIONS

The briefs submitted to Lord Goronwy-Roberts before his

last two meetings with the Governor are attached. The Governor

still considers that the most promising means of widening the representation on LegCo might be in due course to appoint one or two of the natural leaders who are already beginning to merge from the Mutual Aid Committees. However, he told Lord Goronwy- Roberts at their meeting on 9 April that it might not be possible to propose the first such appointment for at least two more years. He added that there was limited scope for promotion of elected members of the Urban Council, who came from the same mainly middle- class background as LegCo and who were in no sense the voice of the people.

2.

The Governor believes that in suggesting a referendum Mrs Elliott and the Movement for Representation in Government are merely seeking to obtain publicity for their cause. They can pursue the same objective through the existing news media which are entirely free in Hong Kong. After discussion with the Governor on 9 April, Lord Goronwy-Roberts decided the line he would take with Mrs Elliott on elected representation to LegCo.

Line to Take

3.

It is the established policy of HMG to advance dependent territories towards representative self-government. However, in the special circumstances of Hong Kong, Ministers would have to be thoroughly convinced that there was an overwhelming desire in Hong Kong for change. The Government would also have carefully to consider whether a democratic system in Hong Kong would risk dividing the population into Communist and non-Communist (pro-Taiwan) factions, with consequent destabilising effects. If pressed, Lord Goronwy- Roberts might, in confidence, cite as evidence of this that the recent election to the Urban Council of a pro-KMT candidate (Henry Luk, Editor of the pro-KMT newspaper "Truth Daily") elicited an immediate protest from the Chinese at official level.

CONFIDENTIAL