TNAG-0658-FCO40-807-Policy-of-Government-of-Hong-Kong-on-education-1977 — Page 228

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med down the meat and the mpt to put equi. to accept the wo had plenty sal. We could inctions and the id have refused tud of that, the duced proposals d to asking Mr. ce and not even of the majority.

o talk about an th we and the uch a solution, elieve--1 do not ght-that Bishop Sentative of the the Americans with deal

when asked why Shop Muzorewa, Because he is not e answer is that ith to hand over nd the guerrillas aste of President hel. This would in Rhodesia not ate party but of leave the Tun at Duvalier look- rmy-and some- Soviet-controlled. terests. Neither principles.

the impression, er of State will ce behind British

Rhodesia today with

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has to be une, be avoided by think of a better bousands of miles eland, and the ch stronger, black There are not Ficans and the e black troops in FNLA and the still active in

279

Foreign Affairs

1 March 1977

In the Middle East the Americans re- fused to apply pressure to Israel until the Arab States abandoned the Soviet alliance. We, too, might take a leaf out of the American's book and make it plain to the Africans that, while we want to see social justice in Rhodesia and South Africa, we will not act as long as they are lined up with the Soviet Union. This is the case certainly in Angola and Mozambique, to a large extent in Tanzania and even. judging from the activities of Ambassador Solodovnikov, in Zanıbia.

I am sorry to have kept the House for m Jong. I come now to my conclusion. Soviet imperialism has been my theme. I do not underrate its importance but I ask The House not to exaggerate its power. The Soviets have their difficulties too. They are the heart of a double enipire, an empire of the Warsaw Pact countries and of the minority nations in their own countries. Very few people realise that between the Urals and the Pacific there are 66 million Soviet citizens only 17 mil- lion of whom are Russian-what might be called a South African proportion of Europeans to Asians. The Soviets have their difficulties. If we stand firm, if we show strength, unity and resolve, I see no reason why the Soviet empire could not in due course be turned into a Soviet Commonwealth and the threat of Soviet imperialism lifted from us.

"

Mr. Deputy Speaker: No doubt the right hon. Member for Brighton, Pavi hion (Mr. Amery), who has apologised for taking so long, will be surprised to learn that he has taken longer than either of the two Front Bench speakers at the beginning of the debalo.

.45 p.m.

Mr, Robert Parry (Liverpool, Scotland Exchange): We have covered many parta of the globe in today's debate. I want to deal with a small part of the world which is still under British rule, namely, the colony of Hong Kong. I have in my con- stituency the Liverpool "Chinatown which is a large Chinese community con- sisting of Cantonese and also citizens born en the mainland of China in Canton, Shanghai and Peking. The majority are immigrants from the New Territories of Hong Kong.

U

From ume to time I receive a number of complaints from these people about the

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Foreign Affaire

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policies of the Hong Kong Government in the Now Territories as they affect their, families, their brothers, sisters, parents and in some instances their children. I refer the House to Early Day Motion No. 51, which stands in my name. This motion has been signed by 136 Labour Members, including 12 members of the National Executive and a number of exẹ Ministers. There is also a counter motion, mainly inspired by Conservative Mom- bors, Early-Day Motion No. 68, which takes a completely opposite view to that expressed in my motion.

I visited Hong Kong last year during the Summer Recess, at my own expeHAC. I spent a lot of time "Vriting the various

pressure groups. Among those whom

visited at grass-root level wore educa- tionists, Social workers, community leaders, housing and tenant groups, doc- tora, trade unionists' and representativos from the villages and the Now Territor ips

These meetings showed clearly the inequalitica in Hong Kong society. the exploitation of the workers that takes place, and the undemocratic face of the Hong Kong Government. That Gov- ernment use any means to still the voicos of those with social consciences. Tha Hong Kong Government threaten dis- senters with dismissal from their jobs. If those who complain are employed by voluntary agencies, the Government even try to use pressure against them.

In a policy document submitted to last year's party conference the National Executive of the Labour Party was highly critical of the present system and society in Hong Kong. The document was adopted unanimously by the con- ference. The TUC has also shown a keen interest in the colony. I under stand that at the request of the TUC the National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers has drawn up a document which has been presented to the international committee of the TUC. The union is obviously concerned about the effects of textile imports on the British industry. The document covers the economic and social factors in Hong Kong-

Mr. Rees-Davies: When he was in Hong Kong, did the hon. Gentleman have the opportunity of seeing the quito remarkable housing which has been erected, particularly in Kowloon, thanks

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