2
THE BULK OF THE PAMPHLET CONSISTS OF AN UP TO DATE AND REASONABLY
WELL RESEARCHED ANALYSIS OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS IN
HONG KONG, IT IS WRITTEN FROM A FABIAN VIEWPOINT AND IN A MORE
BALANCED STYLE THAN QUOTE HONG KONG A CASE TO ANSWER UNQUOTE.
IT LACKS THE LATTER'S MARXIST BIAS, BUT MANY OF THE CRITICISMS
ARE SIMILAR. THE PAMPHLET DESCRIBES ITSELF AS AN ATTEMPT TO
INFORM A WIDER PUBLIC ABOUT CONDITIONS IN HONG KONG, TO EXPLAIN
THE REAL DIFFICULTIES WHICH INHIBIT CHANGE AND TO SUGGEST AREAS
OF
6.
PRACTICAL REFORM: FOR CHANGE THERE MUST BE, IT SAYS.
IN ANALYSING WHAT CAN BE DONE, THE PAMPHLET DISCARDS
THE POSSIBILITY OF HANDING HONG KONG BACK TO CHINA, INSTITUTING
A GENUINELY REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT AND QUOTE LETTING
THE HONG KONG PEOPLE TAKE IT FROM THERE UNQUOTE AND CONTINUING
THE STATUS QUO. FINALLY, THE PAMPHLET CONTINUES QUOTE BRITAIN
COULD RECOGNISE THAT PRESENT SITUATION BRINGS LITTLE BUT ODIUM
AND CONSEQUENTLY DETERMINE TO INITIATE VIGOROUS PROGRAMME OF
SOCIAL REFORM. SUCH AN ASSUMPTION OF PATERNAL RESPONSIBILITY
BY THE COLONIAL POWER WOULD BE A RATHER UNFASHIONABLE THING TO
DO BUT IN THE PREVAILING CIRCUMSTANCES IT WOULD BE MOST PRACTICAL
AND HONOURABLE UNQUOTE.
7.
TO ACHIEVE ANYTHING, BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE TO
HAVE REGARD FOR ATTITUDE OF CHINA TOWARDS SOCIAL REFORM BUT
QUOTE ASSURANCES TO PEKING ON THIS MATTER COULD READILY BE GIVEN
UNQUOTE. SECOND PROBLEM IS LARGE DEGREE OF AUTONOMY WHICH HONG
KONG ADMINISTRATION ENJOYS. AS A MATTER OF URGENCY, THE BRITISH
GOVERNMENT SHOULD SET UP A COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY INTO CONDITIONS
IN HONG KONG, WITH WIDE RANGING TERMS OF REFERENCE AND FULL
POWERS TO CALL EVIDENCE ETC. A FURTHER IMPORTANT STEP AFTER THE
COMMISSION HAD REPORTED ITS WORK, WOULD BE THE APPOINTMENT OF
A HOUSE OF COMMONS PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON HONG KONG,
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