TNAG-0944-FCO40-1163-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 101

CANNOT COMPETE WITH THE RICH AND THE RICH CANNOT COMPETE WITH THE

OFFICIALS. NOT ONLY ARE THERE FREQUENT PETITIONERS OUTSIDE THE

GOVER FOR'S RESIDENCE, THE MORE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT THEIR

INDUSTRIAL ACTIONS CAN PARALYZE PART OF THE SOCIAL MACHINERY

IN HONG KONG AT ANYTIME THEY CHOOSE. ALL TYPES OF PRESSURE

CROUPS ARE NOW ON THE RISE. IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, MOST OF THE

LEADERS OF ACTIVE GROUPS LIKE TRADE UNIONS OF CIVIL SERVANTS,

SOCIAL WORKERS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS, HAVE BEEN YOUNG PEOPLE.

ALTHOUGH THEY DO NOT YET CONSTITUTE AN ORGANIZED POLITICAL FORCE,

THEY CONST IT UTE A SOCIAL FORCE WITH WIDE RANGING INFLUENCE.

THEN, WHAT ARE THE DEMANDS OF THIS SOCIAL FORCE?

IT IS IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW THEIR OWN LIMITATIONS,

THERE ARE TWO POINTS WHICH THOSE DEMANDING REFORMS FOR HONG KONG

ARE WELL AWARE OF.

FIRST, THEY AESOLUTELY RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT CHINA AND

EPITAIN ARE THE DECISIVE FORCES IN DETERMINING THE FATE OF HONG KONG.

SO IT IS OUT OF THE QUESTION FOR THEM TO ASK FOP INDEPENDENCE

SINCE THEY KNOW VERY WELL THAT THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE AND WILL ONLY

INVITE THE OPPOSITION OF BOTH THE CHINESE AND THE BRITISH SIDE.

THEY WILL ALSO NOT PUT FORTH A PROGRAM ON ECONOMIC POLICY

EE CA USE THEY KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THE ECONOMIC STRUCTURE

OF HONG KONG CANNOT TE CHANGED. HOWEVER, THEY AR ASKING FOR

MORE POLITICAL RIGHTS WITHOUT HURTING THE INTERESTS OF BOTH CHINA

AND BRITAIN.

A SECOND, ALTHOUGH IT IS IMPROBABLE FOR THEM TO ASSUME

FOR ONE THING LEADERSHIP ROLE, THEY HAVE SOME BARGAINING POWER FOR ONE THING

THEY ARE LOCAL PEOPLE. COMPARED WITH THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT

WHICH REPRESENTS BRITAIN, THEY HAVE CLOSER RELATIONS WITH LOCAL CIT IZENS. FOR ANOTHER, AS THE SOCIETY ADVANCES TOWARD MODERNIZATION

THE MIDDLE CLASS AND PROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL WHO POSSESS KNOWLEDGE

AND SKILLS WILL UNDOUBTEDLY BE ELEVATED TO POSITIONS OF CRUCIAL

IMPORTANCE.